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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Wooster, Ohio » Application Technology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #426444
Research Project: Integration of Sensor-Vision Guided Precision Spray Systems for Sustainable Crop Production and Protection

Location: Application Technology Research

Title: Optimization and evaluation of electrostatic spraying systems and their effects on pesticide deposition and coverage inside dense canopy plants

Author
item HERKINS, MATTHEW - The Ohio State University
item ZHAO, LINGYING - The Ohio State University
item Zhu, Heping
item Jeon, Hongyoung
item CASTILHO-THEODORO, JOSE - The Ohio State University

Submitted to: Agronomy
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/3/2025
Publication Date: 6/6/2025
Citation: Herkins, M., Zhao, L., Zhu, H., Jeon, H., Castilho-Theodoro, J. 2025. Optimization and evaluation of electrostatic spraying systems and their effects on pesticide deposition and coverage inside dense canopy plants. Agronomy. 15. Article #1401. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15061401.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15061401

Interpretive Summary: Electrostatic spraying technology could be a promising method for pesticide spray application as it may increase pesticide depositions by positively charging spray droplets to move them to plants on the ground. However, no comprehensive data are available to characterize its effects on the spray coverage and deposition of agricultural spray applications. In this study, charge-to-mass ratios (CMR) of an electrostatic spraying system with six different spray nozzles were characterized, and their effects on spray deposition and coverage were evaluated in a wind tunnel. The test results showed the electrostatic spraying system with the highest CMR increased spray coverage and depositions, and reduced spray off-target movement under no or gentle air movement. The data from this work could be used to build a computer simulation model to design and optimize an electrostatic spraying system that increases spray deposition and coverage on plants while reducing spray drift.

Technical Abstract: Electrostatic spraying systems can improve pesticide application efficiency by enhancing droplet deposition and coverage within crop canopies. This study evaluated the droplet size spectra and charge-to-mass ratio (CMR) of 5 electrostatically charged hollow-cone nozzles and 1 flat-fan nozzle paired with an electrode. Each nozzle was mounted on a moving boom in a wind tunnel and operated with the electrode and voltage which produced the highest CMR. Their effects on spray coverage and deposition inside box wood shrubs at wind speeds of 0 and 2.24 m/s were assessed. The nozzles operated with the optimized electrode had average improvements in canopy deposition and canopy coverage of 1.33 µg/cm2 and 4.4% at wind speeds of 0 m/s and 0.26 µg cm-2 and 0.9% at wind speeds of 2.24 m/s. Airborne drift measurements at various heights above the wind tunnel floor showed an average 0.50 µg/cm2 reduction in drift at 0.1 m, variable results at 0.35 m, and minimal changes at 0.7 m and above at a downwind distance of 2 m. These findings highlighted the potential of optimized electrostatic spraying systems to enhance pesticide deposition inside the crop canopy under various wind speeds while reducing spray drift potential.