Water with high mineral content, known as “hard water,” is formed when water percolates through deposits of limestone, chalk, or gypsum, primarily made up of calcium and magnesium carbonates, bicarbonates, and sulfates. The dissolved magnesium, calcium, and other minerals form the hard water cations. These cations react with negatively charged pesticide molecules, reducing efficacy and/or affecting active ingredient solubility.
Some water conditioners will lower the pH, while others will increase the pH. Adjusting the tank mix’s pH to the desired pH of the active helps to get the most out of a pesticide application.
Sediment, algae, and other contaminants may interfere with active ingredients in a tank mix. This can cause filter and nozzle issues as well as reduce overall pesticide effectiveness. The negative impact of water sediment can be addressed to a certain extent by sequestering water conditioners.
There are four categories of water conditioners: ammonium sulfate (AMS), acidulants, salts, and EDTA chelates. AMS and acidifiers both lower the pH of a tank mix. Salts such as potassium acetate, potassium carbonate, and sodium hydroxide raise the pH. These three categories are grouped as pH modifiers and can raise, lower, or buffer the pH of a tank mix. They can also affect a pesticide’s volatility, which is particularly important when dicamba-based pesticides are used.
pH modifiers do double duty by complexing with the hard water cations preventing them from interfering with the negatively charged pesticide while modifying the pH.
Buffering agents not only change the pH of a tank mix, but also hold that pH steady so that it is less likely to fluctuate.
The last category, EDTA chelates, does not affect the pH. They sequester undesirable particles or molecules that can negatively affect a tank mix.
AMS has unique dual functionality in a tank mix. The sulfate reacts with the hard water minerals in the water, and the ammonium helps transport the active ingredient into the plant. However, using traditional AMS is inconvenient because it is needed in large quantities and is difficult to dissolve, making it expensive to ship and handle.
Fortunately, there are liquid AMS-based water conditioners that can also offer other beneficial water conditioning functionalities.
Why use a separate water conditioner, surfactant, and other adjuvants when you can simply mix in one multifunctional with various adjuvant characteristics, all in one bottle?
With a built-in water conditioner, multifunctionals provide an excellent option for tank mixes that could benefit from both a water conditioner and other types of adjuvants.
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Have you ever thought you prepared the perfect application, but gotten less-than-perfect results? As the largest component of a spray tank mix, water can significantly impact application quality with hardness, pH differences, or dirtiness. Water conditioners can help to mitigate these issues.
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