Reproducibility of Pesticide Spray Penetration Tests with the UNCG-Clemson Spray Box

Abstract

Development and refinement of laboratory tests to prescreen barrier fabrics and predict performance in the field are important, since field studies are 1) expensive and time-consuming, and 2) variables such as wind, humidity, and sunlight are impossible to control. The purpose of this study was to determine the reproducibility of the spray penetration tests to prescreen fabrics as barriers to pesticide penetration with the UNCG-Clemson spray box. Tests were made to measure the effects of two exposure times, six pressures, and four sample locations on the deposition of water sprayed on gauze samples positioned on each of four vertical arm test sites. The highest reproducibility of the UNCG-Clemson spray box was found in a spraying condition at 206.8 or 275.7 kPa and 85 seconds exposure with water (CV=4%, SD=0.0041) and 0.125% atrazine (AAtrex Nine-O®) solution.