When you’re committed to achieving pristine greens and landscapes, effective pesticide applications are essential. As the largest component of a pesticide tank mix, water can significantly impact application effectiveness. The composition of water, including its hardness, pH levels, and potential contamination, directly influences the bioefficacy of herbicide and pesticide tank mixes. Ensuring quality water is simple when a water conditioner is added to the tank mix.
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.
This demonstration of COMPLETION™ shows how a water conditioner acts in a tank mix.
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.
DRApHT PICK™ is a multifunctional adjuvant containing a Water Conditioner, Nonionic Surfactant, and Buffering Agent.
DRApHT PICK is a prime example of an adjuvant that conditions water while providing additional benefits. This multifunctional adjuvant is a water conditioner, nonionic surfactant, and buffering agent all in one. DRApHT PICK includes an indicator dye that turns solution a color (yellow, orange, or red) according to pH range, improves tank mix compatibility, and acts as a premium surfactant to aid in spreading the active ingredient thoroughly. DRApHT PICK also increases wetting and penetration even on waxy or weather-hardened surfaces.
Adding a water conditioner to the tank mix makes ensuring water quality simple. Hard water, pH levels, and contamination are far less of a concern with a water conditioner in the mix. Pristine greens and beautiful landscapes are within reach as water conditioners ensure effective pesticide applications.
There’s something about the smell of freshly mowed grass that makes you want to get out on the turf and play. Couple this with some perfectly mowed stripes and neatly painted lines and you have a picture-perfect playing field. While athletes almost always prefer natural grass fields, artificial turf is a widely used playing surface due to the perception that it is easier to maintain.
The largest conference in the golf course industry is right around the corner. This year’s GCSAA conference will be jam-packed with four days of educational seminars, a trade show, tours, and so much more.
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. Hard water, the pH of the water, or dirty water can all affect the efficacy of a spray tank mix. Water conditioners can help to mitigate these issues.
Wielding his 35 years of experience, Mark Mahady provides insight on irrigation and water conservation, turf and soil moisture management, wetting agents, surfactants, and other related topics in this edition of Cutting-Edge Perspectives.
Understanding formulations starts in the lab. Knowing the specifications of a product can help users understand how they use may act and perform in the real-world. Exacto Chemist, Chris Walter, explains Contact Angle to help applicators better understand the chemistry behind surfactants, sticker spreaders, and wetting agents in this edition of the Research to Real-World series.
Learn about the latest wetting agent and moisture management research to combat localized dry spot (LDS), hydrophobicity, salinity, rapid blight disease, drought, and other issues from the University of California, Riverside field day.
Have you ever wondered what happens at a turfgrass research facility? Walk through the O.J. Noer Turfgrass Research & Education Facility with Glen Obear to learn about the facility and Exacto’s involvement there. Exacto research at the facility includes wetting agents, adjuvants for fungicides, and more.
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