DEVELOPMENT OF ELECTROSTATIC PESTICIDE APPLICATORS

PRESENT DAY HERBICIDE SPRAYING OF FIELD ROW CROPS IS VERY INEFFICIENT; OVER 75% OF THE HERBICIDE IS WASTED AS OVER- SPRAY, WHICH IS COSTLY AND CONTAMINATES THE ENVIRONMENT. THEFEASIBILITY OF EFFICIENTLY APPLYING TRANSLOCATABLE HERBICIDEWITH ELECTROSTATIC SPRAY DEPOSITION TECHNIQUES WILL BE EX- AMINED. STUDIES WILL EVALUATE DIFFERENT PARTICLE CHARGING MEANS, INCLUDING INDUCTION CHARGING, CORONA CHARGING, AND COMBINATIONS THEREOF. SPECIAL EMPHASIS WILL BE PLACED ON STUDYING THE EFFICACY ENHANCEMENT OF HERBICIDES WHICH AP- PEAR TO WORK BETTER AT HIGHER CONCENTRATIONS.