While spray drift seems to be one of the hottest topics in agricuIture today, drift reduction nozzles are not necessarily new.

Conventional spray nozzles operated at low pressures and higher GPA rates can often be used to effectively control drift, if conditions are right. Pre-orifice nozzles have been introduced in recent years to better assist in reducing off-target movement of crop protection products. But even they must be operated at relatively low pressures and under rather limited conditions, often resulting in reduced coverage.

As farms get bigger and more acres need to be covered more effectively, applicators need a spray nozzle that will allow them to safely get the job done in a wide variety of operating conditions. The TurboDrop® nozzle from Greenleaf Technologies may offer a solution.

The fact that TurboDrop® reduces drift across the widest pressure range has been well documented by the USDA, independent university trials, and various other agencies. For example, Al Womac (University of Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Station, Bulletin #695) found that the TD11002 TurboDrop® nozzle operated at 60 psi produced a much larger average droplet size (511 micron) than a Turbo Teejet® 11003 nozzle operated at 30 psi (324 micron), resulting in 60% fewer driftable fines (droplets less than 191 micron). In other words, a smaller TurboDrop® nozzle at twice the pressure resulted in a larger droplet and much less drift.

The difference is even more dramatic when the TurboDrop® is compared with the TeeJet® XR (extended range) 11003 @ 30 psi. The TurboDrop® nozzle at twice the pressure reduced driftable fines by 79%. Even at over 100 psi, Womac found that Turbodrop® nozzles give large droplets, and reductions in drift comparable to conventional nozzles at the lowest pressures.

Farmers and custom applicators agree: "I feel that this type of nozzle technology is changing the face of crop spraying as we know it today," says Russ MacNutt of Top Crop Services.

MacNutt used TurboDrop® in burndown, post-emergence, and insecticide applications at speeds as fast as 18 mph and pressures from 50 to 135 psi. TurboDrop® not only allowed spraying in higher winds, but it also made MacNutt's operation more efficient. "We were able to cover more acres, and do a better job."

Furthermore, MacNutt was able to double his application rate (3.8 gpa to 7.5 gpa) with a single nozzle size, instead of having to switch to a larger nozzle.

An added benefit, says MacNutt, was "improved coverage," and "increased penetration through heavy canopy in insecticide and preharvest applications. We got great penetration without heavy water volumes" in these critical applications.

"That's what makes TurboDrop® unique," says Will Smart, Greenleaf Technologies' president. "The nozzle gives unequaled drift reduction along with improved penetration and coverage." "This is not just another drift control nozzle," Smart adds.

Cotton farmers have been able to significantly reduce insecticide inputs with this technology because of improved insect control. Some have suggested that this may also help to extend the life of certain pesticides by slowing resistance.

Additionally, TurboDrop® is being used effectively on airplanes and air blast sprayers, on everything from tomatoes to grapes to potatoes to peanuts. With more than 1 million nozzles in the field in almost every imaginable application, this may be the most versatile nozzle in the world.