Texas Pesticide Applicator Practice Exam

How should you change pressure to reduce liquid droplet drift?

1. Increase pressure to decrease droplet size

2. Reduce pressure to increase droplet size

3. Maintain pressure for consistent results

4. Change pressure based on humidity

The correct answer is: Reduce pressure to increase droplet size

Reducing pressure during spraying effectively increases the size of the droplets produced. Larger droplets are less susceptible to drift compared to smaller ones because they are heavier and fall to the ground more quickly. This is particularly important in pesticide application, where minimizing drift is crucial to prevent unintended exposure to non-target areas and organisms. Maintaining a consistent pressure would produce uniform droplet sizes, which may not mitigate drift effectively, especially in windy conditions. Changes in pressure based on humidity are not a standard practice for controlling droplet size, as humidity primarily affects evaporation rates rather than droplet formation. Therefore, by reducing the pressure, you can create larger droplets, thereby reducing the likelihood of drift and ensuring a more targeted application of pesticides.