Liquid aerial pesticide application quality with an experimental agricultural aircraft in soybean crop (Glycine max l.)

Abstract

Advances in aerial pesticide application technology of chemicals have been given in the direction of reducing the syrup volume, which can cause poor distribution and consequent irregular deposition. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of the syrup spray on aerial application in soybean crop (Glycine Max L.). For the application, an experimental agricultural aircraft was used, applying a spray volume of 20 L ha-1. A bright blue food coloring added to the syrup spray was used for the determination of the volumes stored in the leaves of the upper third, middle and bottom of the soybean plants. These leaves were washed, and the volume determined by spectrophotometry. To obtain the drops spectrum were used artificial targets set by water sensitive paper, distributed in the middle and upper third of the plants. Data were submitted to analysis of variance with a single factor, considering the different positions in the plant, and control cards were made from the lower and upper control limits. The aerial application of syrup spray in the soybean crop had lower values of the volumetric median diameter, relative amplitude and coverage on the middle third in relation of the upper third of the soybean crop. There was less of the syrup spray deposition in the lower third. The coverage indicators of the syrup spray showed that aerial application with the evaluated agricultural experimental aircraft is not under statistical process control, in other words, outside of the quality standard.