Tackling Hard Water Issues in Spray Tank Mixtures
Water quality in spray tanks is crucial for several reasons, especially when it comes to the efficacy of the application and the longevity of the equipment. If you are an applicator your access to a standard quality of water may be limited depending on your geography. Hard water is one of the most common problems […]
The Foam Factor: A Closer Look at Adjuvant Features
Foaming is the formation of bubbles or foam on the surface of the liquid or throughout the solution. In cleaning applications, the formation of foam can offer several benefits, such as increased contact time, enhanced visibility and lubrication with the surface intended to be cleaned. However, in spray tank mixtures these features are not necessary […]
Understanding what Nonionic surfactants really do in a spray tank and on leaf surfaces
It can be challenging at times to conceptualize/imagine what a surfactant is doing from a spray tank mixture to a leaf surface. By the time a spray tank mixture (water, herbicide, Adjuvant/surfactant, etc.) is sprayed on to a leaf surface as liquid droplets, they are relatively small and indistinguishable from rain droplets to the naked […]
How Nonionic Surfactants Changed the Way We Approach Weed Management
The way we approach weed management has been greatly influenced by the introduction of Nonionic surfactants (NIS). Adjuvants have been around for over 200 years, but it wasn’t until the 1960s that research and implementation of nonionic surfactants began. Initially, petroleum-based oil was used in conjunction with surfactants to create an emulsion for herbicide application. […]
How to Effectively Control Weeds With MSO
Brief history of Oils as adjuvants in Weed Control Adjuvants are substances that are added to herbicides to increase their effectiveness and efficiency in weed management. Petroleum-based oils were one of the earliest adjuvants used in herbicides. These oils were well-known for their capacity to improve herbicide performance and were frequently utilized in the 1950s […]
MSO surfactants for Weed Control – An In-depth perspective:
Are you an applicator of herbicides for agriculture, aquatics, or terrestrial weed management? Or are you looking to control pesky weeds in your home garden? If so, you’ve probably come across the term MSO before. Even if you’re simply trying to control weeds in your home garden, understanding MSO can be valuable. MSO, or Methylated […]
Problematic Weeds: The Usual Suspects
Every year, land managers must deal with a set of weedy plants that routinely infest their crops. Most of the weedy plants have plagued the crops for a long time and have evolved to develop traits which enable them to escape control and continue infesting crops and spreading to other areas. Problematic weeds are plants […]
Pesticide Safety: How to Avoid Hazards in Storage
The winter months are when most managers acquire their pesticides and adjuvants in preparation for the following season. After purchase, proper storage of pesticides and adjuvants protectsthe health and well-being of people,helps protect against environmental contamination, and protects the chemical shelf life. Most importantly, proper storage of agrichemicals helps prevent hazards. What types of […]
Why We Must be Concerned About Invasive Plants
An invasive plant species is a non-native organism that takes root in a new ecosystem and starts causing trouble. Before they become invasive, the species of plant or animal may have been brought into the country intentionally, sometimes unwittingly, before eventually becoming invasive. Bear in mind that many of our plant species were introduced into […]
Protecting Forests from Invasive Plants
Forests occupy one-third of our land area and play an important part in sustaining life on earth.Forests and their ecosystems help stabilize climate, regulate the water cycle, and provide food and shelter for thousands of life forms. All these benefits are collectively referred to as ecosystem services for which the forest understory is important. However, […]
