EFFECTS OF SPRAY ADJUVANTS ON SWATH PATTERNS AND DROPLET SPECTRA FOR A FLAT-FAN HYDRAULIC NOZZLE

The effects of seven agricultural adjuvants and two polymeric drift retardants on the distribution of spray were compared with water applied through a multiple nozzle boom. Similarly, the effects on droplet spectra from a single XR80004VS nozzle operating at 276 kPa (40 p.s.i.) were compared. Except for two adjuvants, swath pattern relative to water was significantly altered. With one exception, droplet spectra parameters relative to water were shifted to both smaller and larger frequency distributions. The polymers, whether sprayed alone or in mixture, had the greatest effect on swath pattern. The polymers sprayed alone had the greatest effect on droplet spectra, but the mixtures gave a more variable response. Swath patterns and droplet spectra derived using water are not, therefore, representative when spraying pesticides with adjuvants. Dynamic surface tension (DST) and viscosity at high shear rates were measured for all spray solutions. Analysis to determine the feasibility of predicting quality of swath pattern and various spray spectra parameters (e.g. VMD, NMD) showed that the interaction between the two physicochemical parameters and the results of atomization are complex. DST and viscosity were poor predictors when applied to the mixtures of polymers and conventional adjuvants tested.