RESUMO As doenças foliares da soja afetam o índice de área foliar (IAF) e a estrutura principal para a fotossíntese e a produtividade. O objetivo deste estudo foi propor uma nova metodologia para determinar o início das aplicações de fungicidas, com base no IAF, na taxa de aplicação e na inclusão de um fungicida multissítio, para controlar a ferrugem asiática da soja (FAS). O estudo foi implementado no delineamento de blocos casualizados e em dois locais, com quatro repetições em um esquema fatorial triplo mais um tratamento adicional (4 × 2 × 2 + 1), sendo 4 IAF da soja (0,9, 1,8, 3,6 e 6,1) indicadas para iniciar as aplicações de fungicida; dois volumes de pulverização (70 e 120 L ha-1); com ou sem fungicida multissítio (mancozeb), e tratamento sem fungicidas. A deposição de calda sobre as plantas não diferiu entre os manejos estudados para o IAF de 1,8 e 3,6. Os tratamentos incluindo fungicida multissítio em IAF de soja entre 3,6 e 6,1, em ambos os volumes, apresentaram resultados de controle superior. Os maiores rendimentos foram observados quando a aplicação de fungicida começou em 3,6 de IAF para os dois volumes. A melhor relação entre controle de doenças e produtividade ocorreu quando as aplicações começaram em 3,6 de IAF com 70 L ha-1 e fungicida multissítio.

ABSTRACT Soybean foliar diseases negatively affect leaf area index (LAI) and compromise the main structure for photosynthesis and grain yield. The objective of this study was to propose a new methodology to determine the commencement of fungicide application based on the soybean LAI, spray volumes, and the inclusion of a multisite fungicide to control Asian soybean rust (ASR). The study was implemented in a randomized block design at two locations, with four replicates in a factorial scheme plus one additional treatment (4 × 2 × 2 + 1) - four soybean LAI (0.9, 1.8, 3.6, and 6.1) indicating the initiation stages of fungicide applications, two spray volumes (70 and 120 L ha-1), with or without multisite fungicide (mancozeb), and a control treatment without fungicide. The spray deposition on plants did not differ between the treatments for 1.8 and 3.6 LAI. Treatments including the multisite fungicide for LAI between 3.6 and 6.1 for both spray volumes presented superior ASR control results. The highest soybean yields were observed when fungicide application started at 3.6 LAI for both spray volumes. The best correlation between disease control and grain yield occurred when the applications started at 3.6 LAI with 70 L ha-1 spray volume and the multisite fungicide.

ABSTRACT The use of ultra-coarse droplets for herbicide application reduces the risk of drift but may compromise the coverage and efficacy of the treatment. The objective of this work was to evaluate the use of ultra-coarse droplets, in different spray volumes, in the application of dicamba herbicide in association with glyphosate, for the control of weeds in two field trials. The first trial was conducted in a 5 x 2 factorial design, with five spray volumes (58, 72, 96, 144, and 177 L ha-1) and two air induction flat-fan spray tips (MUG 110015 - MagnoJet and TTI 110015 - Teejet). The control efficiency of Commelina benghalensis and the spray deposition on the target were evaluated by detecting a tracer using spectrophotometry. The second was conducted in a 2 x 2 factorial scheme, using two volumes (100 and 125 L ha-1) and two tips (MUG 11002 and TTI 11002). The control efficiency of Conyza spp. and fresh matter were evaluated. The different spray volumes and tips did not differ in relation to the deposition of the tracer. The use of ultra-coarse droplets was adequate for weed control. The TTI and MUG tips gave similar and adequate control performance starting at 96 L ha-1. Increasing the volume above 100 L ha-1 did not result in better control.

ABSTRACT Mobile application development advances, particularly for smartphones and tablets, have allowed farmers to make decisions more assertively in their agrobusiness management. This article addresses the development and evaluation of an app aimed at people who deal with the pesticide application technology in coffee farming, more specifically, adjustment and calibration of sprayers. This mobile app provides the main data necessary for a correct calibration of air-blast sprayers to apply pesticides in coffee planting. Its functionalities include calculation of the application rate for each situation (L ha-1) based on data obtained in the field, such as canopy volume. The app, called SprayCafé, was developed for the Android platform using the Java programming language in the integrated development environment Android Studio. After the development, the application was evaluated, based on a questionnaire answered by 139 users, who ranked the following requirements: ease of use, loading time, adequacy of screen resolution, data relevance, sequence of information, and applicability, among others. The system proved to be simple and robust; it was thus assessed as adequate to the field and to be of great value for coffee planting, especially because it allows safer and more adequate pesticide application. The graphical user interface is interactive and easy to use.

ABSTRACT An adequate combination of factors involved in the technology used for phytosanitary product application contributes to an efficient spray deposition on the target. The objective of this study was to use multivariate analysis to characterize the magnitude of effects and the order of influence of three factors that interfere with the quality of phytosanitary product application in coffee plants. An entirely randomized design was adopted, with four repetitions, using a 2 × 2 × 3 factorial scheme, with two classes of droplets quality (fine and coarse), two application rates (250 and 400 L ha-1), and the use of adjuvants (with no adjuvant or with Fighter®and Aureo® adjuvants). The quality of the application was determined by jointly analyzing the spray deposition on three thirds of leaves, in their internal and external layers, the runoff to soil, coverage, droplet density, relative amplitude, and the volumetric median diameter. The results underwent analysis of variance (ANOVA) to measure the effect sizes (η2). After testing the assumptions of multivariate analysis, clustering and principal component analyses were performed. The class of droplets was found to be the most influential factor in the quality of the phytosanitary product application (spray deposition and runoff to soil). When focusing on spray deposition on leaves, the second-most influential factor was the application rate and the relation between the application rate and the adjuvants. For the other variables, the second-most influential factor was the application rate.

ABSTRACT The use of remotely piloted aircrafts (RPAs) to apply plant protection products has grown a lot in agriculture worldwide. However, little research data are available regarding the efficiency and safety of this method, especially in Brazil. Thus, this review aimed to present the current scenario of scientific research involving RPAs in the application of pesticides. Several factors interfere with the quality of this type of application. Among them are height and flight speed, droplet generator elements, application rate, and spray solution properties. In general, applications have been performed between 1.0 m and 3.0 m of height and 1.0 m s-1 and 7.0 m s-1 of speed. As for the droplet generator element, there is still no clarity as to the ideal system. Efficacy studies involving RPA applications demonstrate the potential of this method in replacing applications performed mainly by using knapsack equipment in an effort to reduce occupational risks. However, it is essential to observe the advantages of RPA use, while also taking into account the risk of drift. The aerodynamic effect in the droplets, qualified personnel, appropriate formulations, regulations, and details in labels are challenges that still need to be addressed for this new technology to be successful.

ABSTRACT For the successful application of phytosanitary products, it is essential to understand the spraying process well. The present work aims to evaluate the spectrum and speed of the droplets produced by different spray nozzle models with air induction, working under different operating conditions. The experiment was conducted using an entirely randomized design with five repetitions in a 3 × 3 × 3 factor scheme that incorporates three nozzle models (ADIA, AIXR, and GA), three nominal flows (0.76, 1.14, and 1.51 L min−1), and three operating pressures (200, 300, and 400 kPa). The spectrum and speed of the droplets were determined directly using a real-time droplet analyzer based on high-resolution image analysis. The spray nozzle model interfered with the results. The ADIA promoted Dv0.5 (VMD) higher than AIXR and GA, reaching differences of up to 90%. The increase in pressure promoted a reduction in the droplet size; however, there was no well-defined behavior for the relationship between the flow rate and droplet size. The ADIA and AIXR gave rise to greater uniformity of the droplets in most of the evaluated conditions. The increase in pressure promoted an increase in the speed of the droplets. However, the effect of the nozzle model on this parameter was dependent on the flow.

ABSTRACT Coffee growers who produce the robusta species (Conilon) have sought to increase productivity and drink quality by improving production techniques. Artificial vision systems can assist in increasing the efficiency of operations associated with crop management. This study aimed to obtain colorimetric characteristics of robusta coffee fruits at different stages of maturity and use them for classifying fruits from digital images. A digital camera with spectral resolution in the visible was used to acquire images from 60 samples of coffee fruits at the green, cherry, and over-ripe stages of maturity. Colorimetric variables were extracted from the RGB, HIS, and L*a*b* color models and correlated with the physicochemical attributes of the fruits. The principal component analysis associated with the k-means technique was applied to the colorimetric variables that showed a significant correlation with the physical-chemical attributes. The colorimetric variables were reduced to a principal component, which presented an explanatory percentage of the variance of 82.33%. The clustering obtained by the application of the k-means technique showed the feasibility of using images for the automatic classification of robusta coffee fruits, with an overall accuracy of 100%.

ABSTRACT It is a well-known fact that the application of pesticides can be improved using an electrostatic spray due to the reduction of the application rate and increase in deposition on plant targets. However, little information exists on the use of such technology in maize crops. Thus, this study is aimed to evaluate the spray deposition on maize resulting from spray application using an electrostatic sprayer in combination with low application rates and different spray compositions. A field experiment was conducted in a randomized block having a 2×2×2 factorial design with two application rates (95 and 52 L ha-1), with or without the spray electrification, and with or without the synthetic adjuvant. The droplet electrification ability, interference of the electrical conductivity of the spray solution, losses of spray solution to the soil, and spray deposition on maize plants were evaluated for two cases of insecticide applications. The Faraday cage method was used to determine the spray electrification ability of the equipment. The spray deposition on plants and the losses to the soil were analyzed using a tracer (food coloring dye) added to the spray solution that was subsequently detected by spectrophotometry. It was seen that the electrostatic sprayer improved the spray application efficiency, which responded positively to the increase in the electrical conductivity of the spray solution. The deposition of the electrified spray solution on the upper third canopy of maize was found to be higher; the spray solution electrification also reduced the losses to the soil, regardless of the application rate.

ABSTRACT The hardness and pH of the spray water can interfere with the weed control effectiveness with herbicides, but it is not clear the magnitude of this interference, mainly associating different levels of pH and hardness to different glyphosate formulations. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of hardness and pH, in association, of the water used in the application of two glyphosate formulations on the weed control effectiveness. The experiment was conducted in duplicate, in areas with a predominance of Digitaria horizontalis, under a randomized block design with a 4×4×2+1 factorial scheme, composed of four water hardness levels (70, 110, 230, and 430 ppm CaCO3), four pH levels (3.5, 4.5, 5.5, and 6.5), two glyphosate formulations (ammonium salt and potassium salt), and control without application, with four repetitions. The physicochemical characteristics of the spray solutions and the weed control effectiveness were evaluated at 7, 14, and 21 days after application (DAA). The water pH at the studied range did not interfere with the control effectiveness. The increase in hardness reduced the control at 7 DAA, but this difference was not noticed after 21 DAA. Glyphosate ammonium salt promoted higher control of D. horizontalis than that with potassium salt, regardless of water hardness and pH.

Abstract Background: The use of electrostatic spray has the potential to optimize pesticide applications; however, further studies are required to verify its effectiveness. Objective: The objective of this work was to evaluate the electrostatic application system for the chemical control of weeds with glyphosate and adjuvant in different carrier volumes. Methods: The physicochemical properties of the spray solution, charge/mass relations, spray deposition on weeds, losses to the soil, effectiveness of weed control, and spray drift were evaluated. The field experiment was designed to have randomized blocks with four replications in a 2x2x2+2 factorial: the presence or not of electrostatic spray; with and without adjuvant (soybean lecithin + propionic acid); two carrier volumes (50 and 90 L ha-1); a control without applications and a conventional spray rate (150 L ha-1) for additional treatments. The study was performed in duplicate. Results: The electrostatic system energized the droplets during the application of glyphosate and adjuvant; however, this did not influence the deposition on the weeds, the losses to the soil, and the drift. The adjuvant improved the effectiveness of weed control in various situations, changed the spray solution properties, and reduced the losses due to drift. Conclusions: The adjuvant used proved to be an important tool in application technology. The effectiveness of weed control, in general, was not influenced by the electrostatic system.

ABSTRACT Electrostatic spray can bring benefits to the pesticide application such as the reduction of application rate and the increase of deposits on targets. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of electrostatic spraying using lower application rates and different adjuvants on soybean spray deposition and chemical control of powdery mildew (Microsphaera diffusa Cooke & Peck). The field experiment was conducted in duplicate. A randomized complete block design with four replications in a 2 × 2 × 2 + 1 factorial scheme was used. The factors were two application rates, with and without droplet electrification, two spray solution compositions, and one additional treatment. Deposition on upper and lower leaves, spray loss to the soil, and powdery mildew control effectiveness were evaluated. The electrical conductivity of the spray solution and the charge/mass ratio induced in droplets were also evaluated. All treatments reduced the soybean powdery mildew severity. Electrostatic spraying responded positively to an increase in the electrical conductivity of the spray solution regarding the charge/mass ratio, but it did not increase spray deposition on the lower third of the canopy and did not influence spray loss to the soil, which was higher as the application rate increased.

ABSTRACT Adjuvants are tools to maximize pesticide spray quality. This study aimed to evaluate the interaction effects between adjuvants and the fungicide azoxystrobin + benzovindiflupyr on the physicochemical characteristics, droplet evaporation time, and spray droplet size. The experiment was carried out using a 2×6 factorial scheme, in which the first factor was the absence or presence of the fungicide mixture (water or water + fungicide) and the second factor was the presence of different adjuvants (water and five adjuvants). The parameters evaluated were surface tension, pH, viscosity, electrical conductivity, droplet evaporation time, volume median diameter, percentage of droplets smaller than 100 μm, and relative amplitude of the droplet spectrum. The silicone and propionic acid + soy lecithin adjuvants reduced the pH of the spray solution, and the sodium lauryl ether sulfate, propionic acid + soy lecithin, and orange essential oil adjuvants reduced droplet evaporation when mixed with the fungicide. All tested adjuvants improved spray quality related to the characteristics of the droplet spectrum, reducing the percentage of droplets smaller than 100 μm, and allowing more uniform droplet size. The fungicide azoxystrobin + benzovindiflupyr affected droplet evaporation time.

ABSTRACT Tree crops, such as Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica L.), present enormous technical challenges in terms of pesticide application. The correct deposition and distribution of the active ingredient throughout the aerial part of these plants depends on knowledge of the canopy volume, but manually determining this volume is time consuming and imprecise. The objectives of this study were to develop a method to determine the vegetation volume of coffee crops from digital images captured by camera onboard unmanned aerial vehicles and to compare this approach with traditional vegetation volume estimation (tree row volume (TRV) method). Manual measurements of the canopy volume of four coffee cultivation areas were compared with data obtained using the method presented in this paper. It was concluded that the vegetation volume of coffee trees, a highly important variable in defining pesticide application techniques (in addition to other uses), could be determined in a practical and precise way by digitally processing the images captured by unmanned aerial vehicles. The method is fast and permits the assessment of large areas. Furthermore, estimates based on this method and the traditional TRV method were not significantly different.

ABSTRACT Knowledge of droplet spectra generated by spray nozzle tips is important to ensure the quality of applications of plant protection products. However, there are different methods for this evaluation, which can cause difficulty in interpreting the results. This study aimed to evaluate the droplet spectra produced by the flat fan spray tip AD 11002 operated under different pressures and using different techniques and equipment. The volume median diameter (VMD), percentage of spray volume in droplets smaller than 100 µm diameter and relative spam (RS), considering pressures of 200, 300, and 400 kPa were determined using two direct measurement equipment (Spraytec and Shadow Sizer), based on laser diffraction and image analysis, respectively, and a measure based on indirect analysis, through the digitization of water-sensitive paper. Thus, the use of different analysis techniques led to variations of the analyzed parameters. Among the direct measurement equipment, a difference of up to 58% was observed in VMD. The use of water-sensitive paper to characterize droplet spectra must be carried out with great discretion because there is an underestimation of fine droplets. Pressure variations of 200 to 400 kPa did not influence VMD and RS.

ABSTRACT The use of insecticides is common in pest management in wheat crops but may lead to higher production costs and environmental contamination. Therefore, a more comprehensive and uniform distribution of plant protection products in the desired target is recommended. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of different spray nozzles, application rates, and adjuvants on droplet spectrum and spray deposition in wheat crops. The physicochemical characteristics of the spray mixture, droplet spectrum, and spray deposition in wheat plants were evaluated. The lower application rate (75 L ha−1) combined with the use of the twin flat fan tip AS7030 and the adjuvant sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES) yielded droplets with a larger diameter. However, insecticide spraying using hollow cone tip MGA 015 without adjuvants provided the highest percentage of droplets susceptible to drift. SLES significantly decreased the percentage of drift by increasing droplet size, and the adjuvant silicone, d-limonene, and polyester copolymer increased spray deposition. The evaluated adjuvants increased the electrical conductivity and reduced the surface tension of the spray mixtures. These results indicate that it is possible to reduce the application rate from 150 to 75 L ha−1 without affecting spray deposition on wheat leaves.