Pesticide drift simulation under different application methods

Abstract

Pesticide spray drift is a major problem in agriculture today, regardless of the application method. This work aimed to evaluate the potential drift distance of spray droplets delivered by different application methods, under different spray conditions. A computer program (Driftsim) was used to simulate the effect of the application methods (conventional application, aerial application and chemigation) and the wind velocities (1; 3 and 5 m s^-1) on drift distances. Two droplet spectrums were used in the simulation, for each application method. The results showed that the pesticide application through irrigation water provided lesser drift risk than the conventional application, and this one lesser than the aerial. The droplet spectrum and the wind velocity were the major factors that infl uenced drift, and the relation between those two factors was primordial to guarantee the application safety, mainly in aerial and conventional. The simulation allowed to predict the drift risk in several operational conditions.