Influence on wind velocity and wind direction on measurements of spray drift potential of boom sprayers using drift test bench

In 2009, the European Directive for a Sustainable Use of Pesticides (128/2009/CE) established important mandatory actions to be accomplished by all Member States (MS) in the European Union. The main objective is to achieve the sustainable use of pesticides by reducing their risks and impacts on human health and the environment. Among other important actions, drift reduction measures are essential to avoid the entry of plant protection products (PPP) in water or other undesirable areas. As the risk of environmental contamination is directly related to the spray application technology, there is a strong need for objective methods for drift evaluation as well as robust procedures for the classification of sprayers according to their risk of contamination. For this purpose, and as a complementary tool to actual drift measurement methodologies in the field or in laboratory conditions, a new method has been proposed for the quantification of the potential drift generated by horizontal boom sprayer systems using an ad hoc test bench. This study aims to evaluate the influence of wind velocity and wind direction on the drift potential value (DPV) using the proposed methodology and test bench. The results indicated that wind velocities below 1.0 m s−1 have a negligible influence on the DPV. Front wind led to higher DPVs than lateral wind. A global analysis of data indicates that the proposed methodology and test bench are interesting tools for the quick and objective evaluation of the potential drift if used in appropriate environmental conditions.