Spray particle drift mitigation using field corn (Zea mays L.) as a drift barrier

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Engineering
• Agronomy
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Herbicide particle drift diminishes application effectiveness and can harm adjacent vegetation.
• Field boundaries with windbreaks or barriers have been used to mitigate off-target spray movement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the efficacy of field corn (Zea mays L.) at varying heights as a barrier against herbicide particle drift.

Main Methods:

• Evaluated particle drift using two nozzle types: non-air inclusion (ER11004) and air inclusion (TTI11004).
• Utilized field corn rows of 0.91, 1.22, and 1.98 m height as drift barriers.
• Measured particle deposition at different downwind distances.

Main Results:

• Air inclusion nozzles (TTI11004) generated less particle drift than non-air inclusion nozzles (ER11004).
• Corn barriers significantly reduced particle drift for both nozzle types, particularly at closer downwind distances.
• With ER11004, drift distance (D99) was reduced up to 7-fold with corn barriers; with TTI11004 and barriers, drift was reduced up to 10-fold compared to ER11004 without barriers.

Conclusions:

• Field corn barriers effectively reduce herbicide particle drift for both fine (ER11004) and ultra-coarse (TTI11004) spray classifications.
• The porosity and width of the corn barrier were suitable for capturing airborne spray within the canopy, preventing upward deflection.