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CORESTA Congress, Kunming, 2018, Agronomy/Phytopathology Groups, AP 20

Impact of reduced drift spray nozzles on herbicide deposition and efficacy

LEGLEITER T.
University of Kentucky, University of Kentucky Research and Education Center, Princeton, KY, U.S.A.

The use of the growth regulator herbicide dicamba has significantly increased over the past two growing seasons with the introduction of dicamba-resistant soybean. The use of dicamba post-emergence in soybean has shown to be vital in controlling resistant broadleaves such as Palmer amaranth (Amarnathus Palmeri) and waterhemp (Amaranthus rudis). In conjunction with the increased use of dicamba for post-emergence applications there have been increased cases of off-site movement of dicamba onto non-target high input and sensitive crops such as soybean, tobacco, and grapes. In an effort to reduce off-site movement of dicamba, the use of pre-orifice and air-induction spray nozzles that produce extremely coarse to ultra-coarse droplets are required with the newly released dicamba formulations. The increase in droplet size in herbicide applications can potentially lead to decreased deposition and decreased herbicide efficacy. Research was conducted at Purdue University and the University of Kentucky to evaluate the deposition of dicamba herbicides onto target weeds using pre-orifice and air induction nozzles. A fluorescent tracer dye was used to track deposition onto target plants in conjunction with spray cards to determine droplet deposition density and volume. In all research droplet deposition density was reduced with the pre-orifice and air induction nozzles on the spray cards as compared to a single stage or non-air-induction nozzle. Although, under ideal conditions of low weed densities and plants less than 15 cm in height there was no reduction herbicide deposition onto target plants or reduction in efficacy. In treatments with less than ideal conditions of high weed densities and exceedingly tall target plants there was a reduction in herbicide effectiveness. Results from this work further reinforce the utility of two stage and air induction nozzles in reducing off-target movement of dicamba to sensitive crops such as tobacco while maintaining herbicide effectiveness when used in proper field conditions.