Nozzles and droplets with electric charge on spray deposition in chrysanthemum plants

Abstract

The aim of this work was to evaluate the spray deposition with electric charge (electrostatic), compared to conventional application technique (without electric charge), on chrysanthemum plants using different spray nozzle types. The experiment was carried out entirely at random, with eight treatments: TXVK-3, AXI 110015, AXI 12002 TWIN and AXI 11003 spray nozzles were combined in two spraying techniques (with and without electrostatic) and four replications. Each replicate was represented by 12 chrysanthemum plants. Blotting paper was placed on the abaxial and adaxial surfaces of two leaves, in different positions of the plants: top and bottom. A tracer dye (Rodamina B) was applied in the ratio 5 g 100 L^-1 water, in each one of the treatments. Deposits of the tracer dye were quantified by fluorometry. The spray nozzles with droplets of the smallest volumetric medianum diameter (TXVK-3 e AXI 110015) showed greater deposits in the abaxial surface of the leaves, when the electrostatic spraying was used. This fact was not observed, when droplets of the greatest volumetric medianum diameter and without electric charge were deposited in different parts on chrysanthemum plant.