Mitigating Spray Drift and Plant Damage from Aerial Applications:

Lessons Learned from a Field StudyGreg Kruger, Ryan Henry, Brad Fritz, Clint Hoffmann, Andrew Hewitt

and Bill Bagley

Laser Diffraction system

Linear Actuator

Honeycomb to straighten air 1 ft by 1 ft section

200 Horsepower electric motor

130 140 150 1600

100

200

300

400

0

5

10

15

CP4020, 40 PSI, 0° DEFLECTION

DV50Pct<200

Air Speed

Microns %

130 140 150 1600

100

200

300

400

0

5

10

15

CP4030, 40 PSI, 0° DEFLECTION

DV50Pct<200

Air Speed

Microns %

CP4020CP4008

CP03/0.93/30°

CP03/0.125/30°

CP09/0.93/0°

CP09/0.125/0°

CP11TT SS/#15/0°0

100

200

300

400

0

20

40

60

Nozzle Type Effects, 40 PSI, 160 MPH

DV50Pct<200

Nozzle type

Microns %

CP4020/0°

CP4020/15°

CP4020/30°

CP4020/45°

CP03/0.93/30°

CP03/0.93/55°0

100

200

300

400

0

10

20

30

Deflection Angle Effects, 40 PSI, 140 MPH

DV50Pct<200

Nozzle type

Microns %

CP4020/30 PSI

CP4020/40 PSI

CP4020/50 PSI

CP4020/60 PSI0

100

200

300

400

0

5

10

15

CP4020, Increasing Pressure, 160 MPH

DV50Pct<200

Nozzle type

Microns %

Field Layout

Fluorometry

Treatment #1- Glyphosate

0 30 60 90 120 150 180 2100

20

40

60

0.0

0.3

0.7

1.0Deposition Dry Weight

Distance downwind (ft)

Dep

ositi

on ra

te (%

)

Wei

ght (

g)

Control-1.7 grams

0 27 18 27 37 46 55 64 0 27 54 81 111 138 165 192

Treatment #2- Glyphosate + DRA

0 30 60 90 120 150 180 2100

20

40

60

0.0

0.4

0.8

1.2Deposition Dry Weight

Distance downwind (ft)

Dep

ositi

on ra

te (%

)

Wei

ght (

g)

Control-1.7 grams

0 9 18 27 37 46 55 640 27 54 81 111 138 165 192

Deposition

0 30 60 90 120 150 180 2100

20

40

60Gly Gly + DRA

Distance downwind (ft)

Dep

ositi

on ra

te (%

)No Differences

0 9 18 27 37 46 55 640 27 54 81 111 138 165 192

Dry Weights

0 30 60 90 120 150 180 2100.0

0.4

0.8

1.2Gly Gly + DRA

Distance downwind (ft)

Wei

ght (

g)No Differences

0 27 54 81 111 138 165 192

Conclusions• Deposition rates decreased as downwind distance increased

– No differences between treatments

• Injury to tomato plants was severe at all measured locations– No difference between control and treatment #2 at 64 meters

• The DRA did not influence deposition or injury in this experiment

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