The Influence of Newly Developed Spray Drift Reduction Agents on Drift Mitigation by Means of Wind Tunnel and Field Evaluation Methods

Pesticide spray drift has been a worldwide concern in terms of potential environmental pollution and ecosystem damage. This study defined the main reduction agent (DRA) characteristics that help to understand formation process agricultural spraying. Seven various DRAs water were evaluated. Three solutions created based on following materials: calcium dodecylbenzenesulfonate, benzenesulfonic acid, C10-13-alkyl derivatives, salt. Drift measurements performed by means open circuit-type wind tunnel field under conditionally controlled conditions. Air-injector flat nozzles standard used during trials. The pressure was 4.0 bar. Solutions sprayed at different speeds (from 2 m s−1 10 s−1, increasing every s−1). Studies have shown speed nozzle design greatest influence drift. For all DRA studied, resulted ground drift, both field, which about two times higher than air-injector nozzles. spraying with showed new statistically significantly reduced field. Ground-drift studies trend towards less intense droplets speed. With DRA7e, can be up 56% (at 4 s−1) 30% effect is lower when Spray then 12% for DRA7e.