Abstract
The reduction of pesticide spraying drift is still one of the major challenges in Brazilian agriculture. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of different adjuvant products, such as surfactants, drift retardants, mineral oil and vegetable oil for reducing drift in agricultural spraying. The experiment consisted of quantifying drift of sprayings of 18 adjuvants dissolved in water under controlled conditions in a wind tunnel. Tests were performed in triplicates with spraying nozzles type Teejet XR8003 VK, pressure of 200kPa and medium drops. Solutions sprayed were marked with Brilliant Blue dye at 0.6% (m v-1). The drift was collected using polyethylene strips transversally fixed along the tunnel at different distances from the nozzle and different heights from the bottom part of the tunnel. Drift deposits were evaluated by spectrophotometry in order to quantify deposits. The adjuvants from chemical groups of mineral oil and drift retardant resulted in lower values of drift in comparison with surfactants and water. The results obtained in laboratory show that the selection of appropriate class and concentration of adjuvants can significantly decrease the risk of drift in agricultural spraying. However, the best results obtained in laboratory should be validated with pesticide under field conditions in the future.
Highlights
The high demand for pesticides in agricultural systems, coupled with the possible misuse of these products, makes the spray drift one of the biggest problems of pesticide application technology, and probably one of the bottlenecks for reducing the environmental impacts of Brazilian agriculture
The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of adjuvant of the groups of surfactants, drift retardants, mineral oils and vegetable oils to reduce agricultural spray drift
The adjuvants belong to the groups of surfactants, mineral oils, vegetable oils and drift retardants and represent the major functional groups of adjuvants commonly used in Brazil (Table 1)
Summary
The high demand for pesticides in agricultural systems, coupled with the possible misuse of these products, makes the spray drift one of the biggest problems of pesticide application technology, and probably one of the bottlenecks for reducing the environmental impacts of Brazilian agriculture. Adjuvants with "special purposes" are those added to reduce the negative effects of drift, but do not directly influence the efficiency of the pesticide (HAZEN, 2000; McMULLAN, 2000; PENNER, 2000; TU & RANDALL, 2003). Previous studies performed with different products than those used in Brazil have shown that the addition of adjuvants modify the physical properties of the solution and changed the risk of drift. These trends were confirmed in both experiments in which the drift was measured in wind tunnels and in measurements taken directly in the field (WALKLATE et al, 2000; BUTLER ELLIS, 2002; NUYTTENS et al, 2006). Not always "drift retardant" adjuvants available to the Brazilian market fulfill the function specified by the manufacturer, and, independent trials should be conducted to prove its efficacy in reducing drift
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
