Over the past many years the farmers in Kashmir have been facing erratic weather cycles due to the prevalent climatic change. Regarding this concern, the plant pathologists advocate for adding adjuvants to apple sprays for enhancing the efficacy of various pesticides.
Dr. Shabeer Ahmad Ganie, Scientist Plant Protection at SKUAST-K’s KVK Shopian, talks about the pivotal role of adjuvants in optimising spray applications, ensuring effective crop protection, and promoting sustainable farming methods.
In pursuit of improving spray efficacy, Dr. Ganie emphasises the importance of achieving even deposition of active ingredients on plant surfaces. However, he revealed that hydrophobic nature of many plant species, including apples with their thick cuticles and hairy surfaces, poses a challenge to achieving consistent spray deposits.
He revealed that this inconsistency leads to varying levels of protection against pests and diseases, jeopardising crop yields and farmer livelihoods. To address this issue, Dr. Ganie advocates for the modification of chemical and physical properties of spray solutions using adjuvants.
He defined Adjuvants as the materials added to tank mixes to aid or modify the action of agrichemicals.
According to him Adjuvants play a crucial role in enhancing the spread, retention, penetration, and efficiency of spray applications on plant surfaces. He informed that among the various types of adjuvants, wetter-spreaders, or surfactants, stand out for their ability to reduce surface tension and lower the contact angle of water droplets.
“This allows droplets to spread more effectively on hard-to-wet surfaces, such as those with waxy cuticles or hairy structures,” he said, adding that by incorporating wetter-spreaders into spray mixtures, farmers can improve coverage and adhesion of active ingredients, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of crop protection measures.
He added that stickers, another type of adjuvant, address the challenge of droplet run-off, bounce, or shatter off surfaces, particularly on apple trees. “ Stickers, with their adhesive qualities, help adhere droplets to target surfaces, resisting removal by rain and wind,” he said, adding that this not only improves the retention of fungicides on plant surfaces but also reduces drift and runoff, minimizing environmental impact and optimising chemical usage.
He said that in cases where water quality affects pesticide efficacy, acidifiers play a crucial role in optimising spray solutions.
“ By lowering the pH of alkaline water, acidifiers prevent chemical degradation and enhance the solubility and penetration of pesticides,” he said, adding that this ensures that agrichemicals maintain their effectiveness, especially when used in combination with Captan, a fungicide prone to degradation in alkaline conditions.
However, Dr. Ganie cautions against the indiscriminate use of penetrant adjuvants, which disrupt or dissolve the waxy cuticles on plant surfaces to facilitate chemical penetration. “While penetrants can improve pesticide uptake, they may also increase the risk of phytotoxicity or adverse effects on plant health,” he said, adding that careful consideration and expert advice are essential to avoid detrimental outcomes and optimise yield potential.
Despite the myriad benefits of adjuvants in agriculture, Dr. Ganie acknowledges the challenge of selecting the right adjuvant for specific crop protection needs. He said that with thousands of adjuvants available to growers, navigating the diverse effects and interactions of different adjuvant types can be daunting.
The plant pathologists believe that as agriculture faces evolving challenges, the integration of adjuvants into spray applications represents a promising pathway towards sustainable and resilient farming systems.
