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ARS Home » Plains Area » College Station, Texas » Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center » Aerial Application Technology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #301726
Title: Spray drift reduction test method correlation

Author
item ELSIK, CURT - Huntsman
item Fritz, Bradley - Brad

Submitted to: Journal of ASTM International
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/15/2015
Publication Date: 7/12/2015
Citation: Elsik, C., Fritz, B.K. 2015. Spray drift reduction test method correlation. Journal of ASTM International. doi:10.1520/STP157920130171.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1520/STP157920130171

Interpretive Summary: The reduction of spray drift is critical to the long term sustainability of agricultural production and providing applicators with tools and information that guides them in the use of technologies that can be used reduce drift is essential. A laboratory method was developed that can be used to predict reduction in drift from new application technologies using only droplet size data measured in the laboratory, bypassing the need for expensive field study methods. Analysis of sprays treatments, with and without the use of drift reduction adjuvants, showed significant correlation to established regulatory drift models. This method allows for a quick and inexpensive protocol for assessing new application technologies for their ability to reduce spray drift and provide applicators with timely guidance on their selection and proper usage.

Technical Abstract: ASTM Standard E609 Terminology Relating to Pesticides defines drift as “The physical movement of an agrochemical through the air at the time of application or soon thereafter to any non or off target site.” Since there are many commercial tank mix adjuvants designed to reduce spray drift, ASTM established a Standard Test Method to evaluate their effectiveness. This test method provides guidelines for the measurement of parameters pertaining to the performance of drift reduction adjuvants under simulated field application conditions. The measurements can be made in a wind tunnel or lab spray chamber to represent ground applications. The method describes the preparation, composition and test/application conditions for droplet size and driftable fines measurements. The U.S. EPA has published a proposed protocol covering the implementation of spray drift reduction technologies in the field. The results of E2798 were compared to drift reduction simulated by AGDISP to see if a correlation between the two test methods exists.