Published on 29/07/2024
“Adjuvants don’t have an ‘active’ but what they do bring to a spray programme is control, accountability, reduced waste, and quantifiable savings on fuel and labour.”
David says on top of that, there are environmental benefits - increasingly important to farmers, growers, and contractors.
“Basically, adjuvants help you do the job better. Budgets are tight and people are looking for more effective ways to control pests and weeds.
“Adjuvants wring every last cent of value out of herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides. They provide a great return on investment.”
UPL is the expert in this very specialised field. As Elliott Chemicals (later known as Etec Crop Solutions), it began work on adjuvants in this country more than two decades ago. Today, it is an industry leader with over twenty proven adjuvant products – each with its own particular job to do.
Probably the best known, and most widely used, is super spreader Du-Wett.
“Water doesn’t give you real spread or coverage. Adding a spreader will enhance the product’s performance,” says David.
There are other financial benefits too.
“Du-Wett has a significant impact in terms of time and cost-savings as it can be used to greatly reduce the necessary water volume. Spraying is completed faster, tank filling and travelling times are reduced, and diesel and labour expenses are decreased.”
David says adjuvants’ contribution begins even before crop establishment by ensuring spray gear hygiene is maintained.
“All Clear 2X tank cleaner and decontaminant will remove even notoriously ‘sticky’ products. This reduces the risk of cross contamination, and it makes certain all the nozzles and lines are working to peak efficiency.”
The critical spray-out stage of paddock preparation can be make or break for the success of the next crop. Traditionally, non-selective herbicides – glyphosates and glufosinates - are applied pre-planting.
David says using an adjuvant makes the process more effective.
“If you’re spraying out with non-selective herbicides, Unison delivers drift control. That reduces environmental risk and avoids impacting adjacent crops and plants. It also gives enhanced deposition, retention, and penetration.”
David says the low foaming, non-petroleum-based product is a unique patented formulation - a blend of soybean oil ethoxylate and extract from pine tree stumps.
“Unison works on the active ingredient, delivering quicker uptake and penetration due to its patented molecular structure, and small particle size.
“This unique Prozorb technology provides better efficacy and is excellent for reducing the need to re-spray due to regrowth or partial kill, so you don’t lose time and hold up cultivation. And there’s no re-sowing and associated additional costs.
”Spray programme efficacy can also be negatively impacted by ‘hard’ water which, David says, is surprisingly common through much of New Zealand.
“What people often forget is that water is an active chemical. Some chemicals, including glyphosate, are very susceptible to the effect of ‘hard’ water.”
In 'hard water', positively charged cations including calcium, magnesium, and iron bind to the negatively charged glyphosate molecule. This slows up-take and reduces active solubility.
David recommends water conditioner and ion scavenger X-Change to optimise spray performance where hard water is present.
“X-Change is ideal for use with all glyphosate, phenoxy, FOP and DIM products, picloram, and clopyralid. It’s all about putting a bit extra in to get a lot more out.
“People often tell me that 3litres of glyphosate ‘just isn’t working’. What they then usually do is increase the amount of glyphosate. But actually ‘hard’ water is the issue.”
He says adjuvants can also provide visibility and accountability.
“If you’re having to spray broom, gorse or thistles in a hard to access area – it’s back-breaking work. With an adjuvant like the spray marker dye Trakka, you can see where you’ve been, saving spray, time, and a lot of frustration.”
Trakka Red biodegradable marker is easy to see against green vegetation, is effective at low dose rates, and has low mammalian toxicity.
That ecological and user-friendliness is a common thread in how adjuvants work and deliver value.
On brush weeds overall, using the right adjuvant is critical. High quality organosilicones such as Slikka and Satur8 are preferred when used with herbicides such as sulfonylureas and picloram.
David says being a good, responsible farmer or grower isn’t easy.
“Aside from the need to be sustainable and get a decent return, you also need to minimise impact on the environment, take care of workers’ health and safety, avoid waste, and be a considerate neighbour. Adjuvants can help with all that.”
For more information on adjuvants contact David Lingan at UPL New Zealand or visit www.upl-ltd.com/