Drift of 10 herbicides after tractor spray application. 1. Secondary drift (evaporation)

In the present study the evaporation of 10 herbicides was investigated during five field experiments, and the amount deposited per surface area was quantified inside the field using simple passive dosimeters consisting of microscope slides placed on plastic lids. On an average basis 90% of the applied amount reached the field. The accumulated evaporation from the microscope slides was largest during the first hours after application, and the losses in 24 h (from 0% for tribenuron-methyl, fluroxypyr-1-methylheptylester and phenmedipham to 80% for prosulfocarb) was similar to other studies of losses from plant surfaces. An indication of a diurnal difference in the evaporation was observed, probably caused by the differences in temperature or by global radiation. The evaporation did not generally correlate to the vapour pressure. The amounts collected at t=0 on the passive dosimeters were for all field experiments in the same range as the reported amounts applied to the field, and the passive-dosimeters method was found to be a good and reliable method for collection of sprayed pesticides. The advantage of this method was also that it was simple and cheap and easy to set up for screening of evaporation of pesticides from the field after spraying.