Performance Evaluations for an Automated Spray Chamber

Abstract

Spray deposits associated with an automated spray chamber developed at Mississippi State University were evaluated. The data reported herein indicate that: (1) the deposits correspond to the calibrated volumes applied per area, (2) the variation among replications within sampling locations (CV = 12.8%) was substantially less than the variation among replication/sampling location combinations (CV = 37.2%), (3) the deposits were most uniformly deposited in the center 16 cm of the spray deposit patterns for a given nozzle-pesticide combination, and (4) both the % recovery and the shape of some spray deposit patterns varied among the four insecticides tested. These results suggest that researchers could easily be testing insecticide-nozzle combination effects rather than testing for nozzle- or insecticide-effects per se. There remains a need for a quick, accurate method for quantifying pesticide (insecticide, herbicide or fungicide) deposits.