Which practices help reduce spray drift?

Which practices help reduce spray drift?

• A. Small nozzles, high pressure, high boom height, windy
• B. Large nozzles, low pressure, low boom height, no wind
• C. Any nozzle with max speed
• D. Very fine droplets and high application rate

Answer: (B)

Droplet size and how far droplets travel when released are the main factors that influence spray drift. Using large nozzles and operating at low pressure tends to produce coarser, heavier droplets that are less easily carried away by air. Keeping the boom as low as practical reduces the distance droplets must travel before reaching the target, giving less opportunity for wind to push them off target. Spraying in calm conditions—no wind—eliminates the main horizontal force that spreads spray beyond the target area. Put together, this combination minimizes off-target movement and deposition. The other approaches promote drift: small nozzles and high pressure create finer droplets that suspend and drift more easily, a high boom height increases the time and distance droplets can be carried by wind, and very fine droplets paired with a high application rate raise the potential for off-target deposition.

Droplet size and how far droplets travel when released are the main factors that influence spray drift. Using large nozzles and operating at low pressure tends to produce coarser, heavier droplets that are less easily carried away by air. Keeping the boom as low as practical reduces the distance droplets must travel before reaching the target, giving less opportunity for wind to push them off target. Spraying in calm conditions—no wind—eliminates the main horizontal force that spreads spray beyond the target area. Put together, this combination minimizes off-target movement and deposition.

The other approaches promote drift: small nozzles and high pressure create finer droplets that suspend and drift more easily, a high boom height increases the time and distance droplets can be carried by wind, and very fine droplets paired with a high application rate raise the potential for off-target deposition.