HOW DO THE DROPLET SPECTRUM UNIFORMITY AND SPRAY VOLUME OF FLAT-FAN NOZZLES INFLUENCE FUNGICIDE SPRAY DISTRIBUTION QUALITY IN SOYBEANS?

Droplet spectrum quality is essential to effectively control crop pests and diseases. This study aimed to characterize the droplet uniformity of the eight most popular flat-fan nozzles used by Brazilian farmers and relate it to their spraying quality. The method consisted of using a laser-diffraction-size analyser to determine droplet-size distribution for three fungicide spray solution compositions and at two flow rates. Our goal was to identify the nozzle models with the highest and lowest Span values for each fungicide spray solution. In the first stage, the results confirmed differences in uniformity and droplet size for both nozzle models and flow rates applied. However, these differences were not the same for both flow rates nor constant for all fungicide spray solution compositions. Through field experiments, we could understand how the combination of flow rate, nozzle model, and spray solution composition provides different results and application efficiencies. Based on our results, we can state that Span has an impact on the number of droplets prone to drift and quality of canopy coverage. Therefore, this droplet-quality parameter should be considered and displayed in nozzle catalogues to improve nozzle selection and sprayer configuration, thus enhancing application quality.