Adjuvant is not all the same

By definition, agricultural adjuvants are inputs used in agriculture and that do not have phytosanitary activities, but they are extremely important products to optimize the operation, application technology and increase the performance of the pesticides used.

When we talk about improving the application technology and performance of pesticides, we can mention some characteristics per application stage. During tank mixing, adjuvants can act on solution solubilization, compatibility between chemicals, stability, foam reduction and pH control or adjustment. During application, they influence the formation of the spray, controlling the size and pattern of drops, extremely important factors to minimize drift.

Some high-tech adjuvants can also influence the type of impact between droplet and target, minimizing spray splashes through an effect known as anti-rebound. When already in contact with the substrate, adjuvants are extremely important to maintain the wetting, spreading/covering of the leaves. And finally, they can also influence the absorption and translocation of pesticides and fertilizers by plants, as well as retention and resistance to washing by rain.

As we saw above, adjuvants can influence our applications in different aspects, but the maximum points of all these characteristics can only be achieved with specific chemical structures that are different from each other. So, to say that an adjuvant is multifunctional we would have to have all these different chemicals in the same product, in the same bottle.

 Unfortunately, it is not possible to get the most out of all these features in a single product, as many of them are chemically antagonistic to each other. Therefore, what happens with some of these products is that certain characteristics or functions prevail to the detriment of others. Linked to this, it is important to bring to the discussion that each agricultural pesticide has different chemical and agronomic characteristics and that each of them has a specific adjuvant to improve its performance.

For example, we can mention the application of systemic and protective fungicides in the same mixture and which have completely different agronomic aspects. The systemic fungicide needs to be absorbed and translocated into the leaf, while the protective fungicide needs to spread and remain on the leaf surface, fulfilling its role. So, I ask readers, do you believe that the same adjuvant can have these two functions at an exceptional level? We also know that the application of most protective fungicides is also quite problematic when it comes to tank mixing and spraying. Can we have a single adjuvant that will optimize all the needs of the field, knowing that we are increasingly working with more complex mixtures? And my answer is: NO!!!

Many people ask us why pesticide formulations themselves do not already contain these specific adjuvants within their formulations?! And the answer is simple: many adjuvants are not compatible within the formulation or there is not enough space to add it at a concentration that would actually be effective in the spray tank.

Today in Brazilian agriculture, the vast majority of applications are made with adjuvants that we don't even know their real functions in the application, they are normally chosen only because of the cost or the commercial partnership. We see in the field that this problem has even led to the loss of performance of some pesticides. We have even come across adjuvants degrading active ingredients and negatively interfering with the application on several occasions. But it is difficult for the farmer to have this type of deeper observation and evaluation in the field.

However, some brands have become concerned about this scenario. This is the case of DVA Agro in Brazil, which aims to change this mentality of multifunctional and “miracle” adjuvants, where everyone seems to be the same. We are focused on getting closer to the reality of the field, knowing the real needs of each application and then making recommendations so that the farmer really gets the expected and enhanced response from each pesticide used.

by Bruno Francischelli, Agricultural Engineer and marketing coordinator at DVA Brasil

by Natália Gonçalves, Chemical Engineer and Global Head of R&D Agro at DVA Global