Pesticide Drift: Deposit Efficiency from Ground Sprays on Cotton1

Abstract

Total spray deposits from high-clearance ground applications of DDT to cotton were measured by: (1) extracting row segments of entire cotton stalks and (2) collecting that spray which fell through the canopy to the soil. In short cotton (29 in. height) 39% of the spray were deposited on the plants and 34% fell to the soil, or a total of 73% deposited on target; in rank cotton (49 in. height) 83% were deposited on plants and 6% on soil, totaling 89% on target. These rates of deposit from ground application are much higher than from the usual aerial applications.