‘Wind tunnel’ transfers precision and affordable cost to analysis of drift resulting from agricultural adjuvants

An apparently simple piece of equipment, capable of producing results similar to those obtained with state-of-the-art imported models, worth over US$ 1 million, the 'wind tunnel' of the Spraying Adjuvants program attracts manufacturers of agricultural adjuvants in the country, in search of functionality certification for your products. The 100% national device was developed in the program's laboratory, in the São Paulo city of Jundiaí, and accurately evaluates the interference of adjuvants in the 'drift' of agrochemicals such as herbicides, fungicides, insecticides and acaricides.

Drift refers to an amount of agrochemical that “escapes” from the target of an application, during spraying. Several factors cause this phenomenon, from the action of the wind to the addition of inappropriate adjuvants to the agrochemical spraying mixture, as explained by the coordinator of the Spraying Adjuvants program and researcher Hamilton Ramos.

“Adjuvants have the function of adding effects such as spreading, humectant and penetrating. Low quality products and unproven functionality cause drift and bring environmental, agronomic and health problems to rural workers, among others”, explains Ramos. According to him, the program's wind tunnel represents an advance in knowledge linked to the relationship between adjuvants and drift. “Simplified in its engineering structure, the equipment enables highly reliable analyzes at an affordable cost.”

According to Ramos, the main characteristics of the wind tunnel are its cylindrical shape – there are others in the country with a rectangular structure -, a diameter of approximately 1 meter and a length of 8,40 m. Spray tips and a reservoir are attached to the equipment, for storing the spray solution and adjuvant, as well as a mechanism for 'aspiration' of the products under study and measuring drift.

Legislation and seal – Hamilton Ramos clarifies that unlike what happens in the agrochemical or agricultural pesticide industry, whose inputs are subject to rigorous stages of testing and research for registration and inspection, agricultural adjuvants produced in Brazil do not undergo official regulation. “This legal loophole opens up space for the incorrect and unsafe use of agricultural pesticides and adjuvants.”

Ramos also emphasizes that at the end of 2021 the Spray Adjuvants program launched the CEA-IAC seal, with the purpose of certifying the functionality of agricultural adjuvants informed on the labels of these products, by manufacturers. So far, eight companies have obtained certification. Another five are in the registration phase.

The researcher also highlights that the Spraying Adjuvants program is a non-profit initiative, maintained with private resources, on the premises of the Engineering and Automation Center (CEA), the Agronomic Institute (IAC), an agency of the State Department of Agriculture and Supply. of SP based for over 50 years in the city of Jundiaí.