Spatial Distribution of Electrostatically Deposited Sprays on Living Plants

Spray deposition density (ng/cm2) was measured leaf by leaf throughout broccoli plants to compare mass-transfer characteristics of charged-droplet application with those of uncharged droplets and with conventional application by a hydraulic nozzle. Throughout the majority of the plant, charged-droplet deposition was significantly greater than either other method; the electrode position benefit achieved at a droplet charge per mass ratio of −8.2 mC/kg ranged from 2.4- to l.4-fold vs. conventional spraying. Highly significant cumulative deposition increases attrihutable to electrostatic attraction of charged spray were 1.75-fold as compared with uncharged and 1.85-fold as compared with conventional application methodology.