How Does Water Quality Affect Pesticide Effectiveness?
When the application of a pesticide fails to deliver the desired control of a pest, the immediate thoughts are that something is wrong with the pesticide or there is pesticide resistance. However, the cause may be due to a different reason, water quality. Water is the most common ingredient in pesticide applications. Water is an […]
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. […]
The Impact of Weather Conditions on Herbicide Spray Tank Applications
The importance of Weather consideration In herbicide spray tank applications, weather conditions play a critical role in the effective management of weeds. The success of herbicide applications relies not only on the efficacy of the herbicide and the ability of the adjuvants within the tank mixture but also on environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, […]
Alkylphenol Ethoxylate-free (APE-free) surfactants in Adjuvants
Understanding APE-Free Surfactants in Adjuvants You might not be familiar with the term “alkylphenol ethoxylates” (APEs), but they are important ingredients in products that help with pesticides and adjuvants. These surfactants have made a name for themselves because they mix well with other substances and help products work better. However, studies over the past decades […]
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 […]
