Management of Drift with the Proper Equipment

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Management of Drift with the Proper Equipment
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Pesticide Drift

• Uncontrolled movement of the chemical away from
  the targeted area
• Types
• Vapor
• chemical dependent
• Physical
• Droplet size
• Spray Height
• Weather

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Vapor drift can occur even days after the
application
Wind
Drift
Vapor
Non-Target Sensitive Crop
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Vapor Pressure Values of Various Chemicals_at_ 770F
Note The higher the number the more volatile the
chemical.
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Droplet Size

• Microns
• human hair 50
• typical values
• range 20 - 370
• mean 200
• Physical drift increases as droplet size
  decreases
• droplet size
• pressure
• High pressure, small droplets
• nozzle selection
• Small hole, small droplets

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Fall Rate of VariousSize Droplets
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Influence of Spray Pressure on Droplet SizeFlat
Fan Nozzle - 0.6 GPM
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Spray Height

• Exposure to Wind
• physical drift
• Exposure to Sun
• chemical drift
• Smaller droplets stay aloft longer
• Sprayer pressure
• Nozzle selection

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Physical DriftWeather

• wind speed direction
• most important
• temperature
• humidity
• inversions

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Physical DriftTemperature Inversions
Normal
Inversion
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Pesticide Drift ManagementEquipment for Pastures

• Boomless Sprayer
• Boom Sprayer
• Weed Wiper
• Spot Sprayer

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Boomless Sprayer

• Advantages
• Rapid coverage
• Limited barriers
• Disadvantages
• Maximum Drift
• Nonuniform droplet size
• Limited Chemical
• Limited Flexibility
• Covers all plants

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Boom Sprayers

• Advantages
• Flexible system
• nozzle changes
• herbicides
• pressure
• height
• Controllable drift
• Uniform droplet
• Disadvantages
• Boom damage
• Lower Speed
• compared to boomless

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Weed Wiper

• Advantages
• Very Limited drift
• Cost (?)
• range 100 - 6000
• Flexible mounting
• Disadvantages
• Limited herbicides
• no oil based chemicals
• Application Speed
• Boom (wiper) Damage

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Spot Sprayers

• Advantages
• Cost
• 60 - 400
• Limited Drift
• Flexibility
• Nozzle Selection
• Chemical Selection
• Model selection
• Backpack to truck
• Disadvantages
• Application Speed
• Applicator Exposure
• Physical burden

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Drift Prevention

• Common Sense
• Good decisions
• Equipment
• Nozzle, Pressure, Spray height, etc.
• Weather
• lt10 mph wind
• no Inversion
• Buffer Strips
• boomless 300 ft.
• boom 100 ft
• Wiper chemical drift
• Spot 5-50 ft