Effects of Adjuvants on Spraying Characteristics and Control Efficacy in Unmanned Aerial Application

Shilin Wang, Xue Li, Aijun Zeng, Jianli Song, Tao Xu, Xiaolan Lv and Xiongkui He
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Shilin Wang: Institute of Agricultural Facilities and Equipment, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
Xue Li: Institute of Agricultural Facilities and Equipment, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
Aijun Zeng: Center for Chemicals Application Technology (CCAT), College of Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Jianli Song: Center for Chemicals Application Technology (CCAT), College of Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Tao Xu: Institute of Agricultural Facilities and Equipment, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
Xiaolan Lv: Institute of Agricultural Facilities and Equipment, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
Xiongkui He: Center for Chemicals Application Technology (CCAT), College of Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 12, issue 2, 1-15

Abstract: Pesticide application by unmanned agricultural aerial vehicles (UAVs) has rapidly developed in China and other Asian counties. Currently, tank-mix spray adjuvants are usually added into pesticide solutions to reduce spray drift and facilitate droplet deposition and control efficacy. The currently used tank-mix adjuvants are all derived from conventional ground sprays, and their mechanisms of action in aerial applications are still unclear. In order to clarify the spraying characteristics and control efficacy of those adjuvants in aerial sprays, the performances of various types of tank-mix adjuvants were compared by analyzing droplet spectrum, drift potential index (DIX) in a wind tunnel, field deposition and control efficacy on wheat rust and aphids. The atomization results showed that the addition of adjuvants could change the droplet spectrum of liquid, and the results suggest that droplet size is an effective indicator of spray drift potential. In the field application, the meteorological conditions are complex and uncontrollable, and the effects of adjuvants on droplet deposition and distribution were not significant. Compared with the control solution, there was no significant difference in the deposition amount of each adjuvant solution, and the CVs of deposition were higher than 30%. Adding adjuvants to the spray solution can significantly improve the control efficacy of pesticides on wheat aphids and rust and also prolong the duration of the pesticide. Our results suggest that tank-mix adjuvants should be added when UAVs are used for aerial application. This study can be used as a reference to the research and development or selection of adjuvants in aerial sprays of UAVs.

Keywords: unmanned aerial vehicle sprayer; pesticide application; tank-mix adjuvant; spray drift; control efficacy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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