Advanced Application Technology for Weed and Spray Drift
Management
Chris O'Donnell, Gary Dorr, Nicholas Woods and Andrew Hewitt
Centre for Pesticide Application and Safety
School of Agronomy & Horticulture
The University of Queensland, Gatton, Qld, 4343
A project funded by the Grains Research & Development Corporation (GRDC)
BACKGROUND
:
!
This project aims to optimise herbicide
application technology to minimise spray
drift areas and improve the effectiveness
of weed management practices.
!
Many farmers have stated that to
implement best practice they need
accurate information about the
performance of current and new herbicide
application systems. Preliminary work has
determined the size and range of droplets
generated by "02" (yellow) hydraulic nozzle
systems and their associated downwind
(airborne) drift. Newer technology nozzles
such as the low-drift/air-induction nozzles
and standard flat-fan nozzles have been
tested.
METHODS:
!
The droplet size distribution for each
nozzle was measured at the advanced
pesticide wind-tunnel laboratory at UQ
Gatton Campus using a Malvern 2600
laser-diffraction analyser. Data shown
here were obtained using a spray solution
of water and 0.1% surfactant (Agral).
!
The airborne drift profile was also
determined by quantifying the amount of
drift that was deposited on collector
strings located downwind of the nozzle in
the wind tunnel.
CONCLUSION:
!
There were large differences in both the
droplet size and downwind drift generated by
the various nozzle types.
!
The newer air-induction type nozzles were
effective in producing larger droplet sizes and
effectively reduced the amount of down-wind
drift.
!
Current work is determining herbicide
efficacy using these different nozzles on a
range of "hard to control" weeds.
The authors gratefully acknowledge the
assistance and financial support of the Grains
Research and Development Corporation
(GRDC).
Droplet Size for a range of 02 Flat Fan Nozzles
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
Y
A
M
A
H
O
02
-
2
75kP
a
T
URBO
DRO
P
0
2
-
275kP
a
A
I
11
002
V
S
-
275kP
a
A
I
11
002
S
S
-
500kP
a
H
a
r
d
i
I
n
j
e
t
02 -
500kP
a
T
URBO
DRO
P
0
2
-
500kP
a
A
I
R
M
I
X
0
2
-
275kP
a
B
i
l
l
er
i
c
ay 02 -
500kP
a
A
L
B
U
Z
11002
A
D
I
-
2
75kP
a
HARD
I
L
D
0
2
1
1
0
-
275kP
a
D
G
110
02V
P
-
275kP
a
T
T
110
02 -
275kP
a
R
e
f
e
r
e
n
ce 110
03
-
275kP
a
80
02V
S
-
275kP
a
80
02V
P
-
275kP
a
X
R
110
02
-
275kP
a
HARDI
0
2
1
1
0
-
275kP
a
T
J
60 8002
EVS -
275kP
a
1
1002 V
P
-
275kP
a
D
r
op
let siz
e
(µ
m
)
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
very coarse
course
medium
fine
VMD
Dv10
Dv90
Airborne Drift 2m downwind from nozzle
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
Y
A
M
A
H
O
02 -
275kP
a
T
URBO
DR
O
P
0
2
-
275kP
a
A
I
11002 V
S
-
275kP
a
A
I
11002 S
S
-
500kP
a
H
a
r
d
i
I
n
j
e
t
02
-
500kP
a
T
URBO
DR
O
P
0
2
-
500kP
a
A
I
R
M
I
X
02 -
275kP
a
B
i
l
l
er
i
cay
02 -
500kP
a
A
L
B
U
Z
1100
2 A
D
I
-
275kP
a
H
A
R
D
I
L
D
02
110 -
275kP
a
D
G
11002V
P
-
275kP
a
T
T
11002 -
275kP
a
R
e
f
e
r
e
n
ce 11003
-
275kP
a
8002V
S
-
275kP
a
8002V
P
-
275kP
a
X
R
11002
-
275kP
a
H
A
R
D
I
02
110 -
275kP
a
T
J
60
8002 E
V
S
-
275kP
a
11002 V
P
-
275kP
a
D
r
i
f
t at 2m
(
%
o
f
spr
ay em
i
t
t
e
d
)
very coarse
course
medium
fine
