Give examples of equipment choices and setting that help reduce pesticide drift.

• A. Lower pump pressure, increase nozzle size, decrease nozzle distance to target.
• B. Increase pump pressure, use smaller nozzles, increase nozzle distance.
• C. Keep pump pressure constant and adjust only travel speed.
• D. Use more nozzles and higher flow.

Answer: (A)

Reducing spray drift relies on making droplets coarser and placing the spray near the target so it deposits quickly rather than being carried off by the wind. Lowering the pump pressure helps create larger droplets, and using a larger nozzle size provides a bigger orifice, both of which produce coarser droplets less likely to drift. Bringing the nozzle closer to the target—keeping the boom height low—lets those larger droplets reach the target faster and with less time for wind to move them away.

Choosing higher pressure or smaller nozzles tends to produce finer droplets that stay suspended longer and can drift with air currents, increasing off-target movement. Increasing the overall spray distance or relying on travel speed alone doesn’t address drift as effectively because it doesn’t control droplet size or deposition location as directly.