Evaluating drift-reducing techniques and nozzles for spray performance in winter wheat

Within the OPTiSPRAY project, various drift-reducing nozzles and techniques were
evaluated for their effects on spray deposition and coverage in winter wheat at two
growth stages (mid and late) in two consecutive years (2023 + 2024). In total, seven
spray application techniques and settings were tested in the field. The techniques
include a standard flat fan nozzle (0% drift reduction), drift reducing nozzles (50 and
90% drift reduction according to Belgian legislation), air support, Wingssprayer
shielded boom, dual-fan drift reducing nozzle, and reduced boom height and nozzle-
spacing. A significant interaction was observed between spray configuration and
collector position at both growth stages (P<0.001), indicating that the most suitable
configuration for a specific spray application, in terms of relative deposition and
coverage, depends on the specific part of the plant canopy being targeted. The drift-
reducing configurations performed comparably to the reference application with a
fine-quality standard flat fan nozzle (XR 110 03, 3.0 bar, 50 cm nozzle height and
spacing). Among the tested configurations, the use of air assistance achieved overall
the best deposition and coverage results, especially at the spike (highest) and at the
ground level (lowest).