Water quality & mixing in the tank impact pesticide efficacy
Water quality and mixing in the tank impact pesticide efficacy, so it’s crucial you get it right for sprays to be effective in the field. Get it wrong, and you will be paying in time and money.
Proper tank-mixing is a crucial step for efficient and effective crop protection sprays and sets the chemical formula for treatment. Your products must dissolve properly in the water, and remain stable and available in the tank. But multiple products in the tank can be hard to mix together, and the quality of the water – pH, hardness and temperature – can also affect its lifespan. Mixing your products in a clean sprayer is also absolutely vital to avoid a tank-mixing and crop safety problem.
With water being such a major component of your tank-mixes and complex mixes being routine, understanding the issues is key. You can then take steps to optimise conditions in your spray tank for pesticides to perform to their full potential.
Key issues affecting pesticide stability & availability:
- Poor sprayer hygiene – should be avoided at all costs
- Hard water can lower pesticide effectiveness
- High pH can lower pesticide stability
- Poor tank mixing & incompatibility risks plant health
- Water conditioner / adjuvant not used but needed
Key issues in the spray tank reducing pesticide stability & availability
Click on the modules below to learn more about the key issues and how to rectify them.
Good sprayer hygiene is essential to prevent contamination to off targets, crop injury and a whole lot of hassle when things go wrong.
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Hard water cations can lock-up pesticides preventing uptake in plants. Once locked-up, the process is irreversible and the performance of your pesticide will be significantly reduced.
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High pH can break down some chemicals through a process called alkaline hydrolysis. The more alkaline the water, the faster the breakdown.
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Tank mixing chemicals improves efficiency but an incompatible mix can cause antagonism and reduce efficacy in the field.
Learn moreWater Conditioners & Adjuvants can help stabilise your spray mixture
Is hard water and high pH causing havoc with your tank mixes? If it is, you’ll need to condition hard water and correct pH with a water conditioner to maximise pesticide effectiveness.
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They’re not all muck and mystery! Master tank mix adjuvants and you’ll be able to select the right ones so you can push your pesticide performance to the max.
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