Spray droplet size and carrier volume effect on dicamba and glufosinate efficacy

BACKGROUND: Pesticide applications using a specific droplet size and carrier volume could maximize herbicide efficacy while mitigating particle drift in a precise and efficient manner. The objectives of this study were to investigate the influence of spray droplet size and carrier volume on dicamba and glufosinate efficacy, and to determine the plausibility of droplet-size based site-specific weed management strategies. RESULTS: carrier volume is recommended for dicamba applications and a 605 µm (Extremely Coarse) droplet size across carrier volumes is recommended for glufosinate applications. Although general droplet size recommendations were created, optimum droplet sizes for weed control varied significantly across site-years. CONCLUSION: Convoluted interactions occur between droplet size, carrier volume, and other application parameters. Recommendations for optimizing herbicide applications based on droplet size should be based on a site-specific management approach to better account for these interactions. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.