Wind tunnel research helps soybean growers select the best nozzles

By Erdal Ozkan

Most of you reading this article have probably never seen a wind tunnel. I want to describe what a wind tunnel looks like, how it operates, and, more importantly, how we use it to help soybean growers apply pesticides more efficiently and effectively by matching sprayer technology to soybean canopy characteristics. More specifically, we hope the results from this research will assist soybean growers in selecting the best nozzles and soybean varieties that increase the likelihood of pesticide droplets depositing on hard-to-reach areas of the soybean canopy, where insects and diseases may be present. We aim to address two questions that soybean producers often pose: 1) Are row spacing and plant population essential factors for effective spray deposition and coverage in the soybean canopy, and 2) What spray technology is available and recommended to maximize the efficacy expected from the pesticides applied?

Studies have shown the complexity of spray penetration in dense crop canopies.… Continue reading