Synthetic or conventional oil? Regular 87 octane or premium 93 octane gas? Cheap tires or more expensive ones? These vehicle maintenance decisions may not seem like a big deal, but they can make a real difference in performance, longevity, and overall cost of a vehicle. In agricultural applications, adjuvant decisions can make the difference in an efficient and effective application. It’s important to ask questions to understand product composition and potential agronomic effects to determine if an adjuvant will truly be cost effective.
Finding a balance between price and agronomic results is key to adjuvant decision making.
Just like a mechanic knows their cars, farmers know their crop. If there is a wet or dry spot or area where it is harder to maintain weed control, the farmer knows all about it. Providing these experts with information and tools to effectively combat their issues is essential to successful applications. Simple research data from lab tests like percent nonvolatile, Draves test, contact angle, and surface tension can show the capabilities of a product and whether or not the product is right for the job.
A surfactant’s ability to wet a leaf surface is directly related to the quality of that surfactant, and higher quality products will lead to more consistent performance across challenging environmental conditions. Quality surfactants can help growers extract the most from the pesticide-active ingredients they apply. Contact products need good leaf coverage, and adjuvants that improve wetting and reduce surface tension and contact angle will perform best. Systemic products must also have adequate leaf contact to get into the target plant, and using effective surfactants can improve deposition and wetting of spray droplets through hairy leaf surfaces.
Surfactants Explained
The principal functioning agents in a surfactant product are a combination of surfactants and other agents with diverse functionalities, including humectants. The percentage of nonvolatile substances in an adjuvant formulation determines the amount of components that do not evaporate quickly. A higher rate of non-volatiles provides the active ingredient more time to perform its function, increasing the likelihood of a successful application. The results below show the range of product quality on the market today. A lower number for the Draves test, surface tension, and contact angle indicates a product with better surfactant qualities. A higher percentage of non-volatiles is an indication of surfactant persistence on the leaf surface. This is why it’s essential to understand what you’re buying to find the product that works best for you.
This chart shows percent nonvolatile, Draves test, surface tension, and contact angle results for surfactant products currently on the market. All tests were measured at 0.25%.
Pesticide labels vary on surfactant requirements. Always follow the pesticide active ingredient label and consider the needs of each application to help choose the best tank mix components.
When evaluating a product, you should ask:
As price pressures increase in all aspects of business, looking at ways to cut costs is a natural and appropriate response. While searching for cheaper alternatives in the adjuvant and crop protection industry, it’s important to keep in mind how formulation changes impact quality and agronomic effects as well as price. A cheaper formulation is an option, but is it always the best way to go? When the agronomic effectiveness of a product goes down, so does the value of the crop in the field. The risk of developing herbicide resistance also increases along with a host of other concerns.
Weeds growing back in a corn field in late July
When evaluating a product, you should ask:
If you have a big truck for hauling equipment, doing farm work, or other extra work, buying cheap tires saves money in the short term, but those tires may wear faster and have to be replaced sooner. Yield loss can break a profitable season. Certain adjuvants may have less surfactant and perform just fine in mild conditions, but throw in environmental factors like excess rain, hardened-off weed cuticles, or a particularly challenging weed, and it may become an overwhelming control battle that requires multiple applications.
While there may be cheaper alternatives, quality formulations that cost more can help get the job done right. If a product costs less and isn’t getting the job done, it’s not cost-effective. It’s essential to find that balance between high performance and product cost to ensure good efficacy while keeping costs down.
Purchasing decisions aren’t easy. Ask questions to ensure informed decisions and consider all factors, including product composition and agronomic effects. The more costly option could save money in the long run.
Surfactants are widely used across the world – in fact, you probably use surfactants every day in soaps, detergents, toothpaste, cosmetics, and countless other applications. Surfactants are just as important in agriculture and turf and understanding how and when to use the right surfactant can make or break a successful application.
Explore UW-Madison’s turf research studies from the Wisconsin Turfgrass Association Field Day. Dr. Soldat’s Soil Science Program showcased an athletic field management study comparing conventional & organic approaches. Dr. Koch’s Plant Pathology Program highlighted a leaf mulching study.
With a dry spring hanging over the corn belt, concerns of returned crop stress remain going into the second half of the season. Regional drought monitor maps give reason for this concern as drought lingers in across much of the central US.
Turf needs water to survive. If not managed effectively, soil moisture can cause consistent problems such as water-repellancy that create dry patches, inconsistent turf appearance, and in severe cases, complete loss of turf. Turf wetting agents help move water into the soil, improve uniformity, and increase moisture retention.
Soil water management plays a big role in both agriculture and turf industries, but turf holds secrets to advancements in moisture management technology that haven’t reached agriculture yet. Agricultural wetting agents are here and ready to help farmers manage water and keep moisture in the soil.
As the heat of summer nears, so does the threat of fungal diseases infecting turf. Planning a fungicide application with adjuvants based on environmental conditions and the turf ecosystem can improve fungicide effectiveness.
Fungicides are an important part of plant health, protecting crops from disease. Corn tar spot, southern corn rust, and frogeye leaf spot are a few diseases that can be costly if not treated with an effective fungicide application. Planning an application with adjuvants specifically targeting these diseases is imperative to reducing disease pressure.
How do great ideas turn into high-quality products? The idea is translated into a stable, quality formulation then the questions begin. At what rate should the product be applied? When should it be reapplied? Can it be mixed with other materials? Does it need to be watered-in? We answer these questions by conducting field trials to put new product ideas to the test under real-world conditions.
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