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Influence of Water Hardness on Spray Atomization By W. Clint Hoffmann, .E. Bagley, D.E. Martin, Y. Lan, B.K. Fritz Contact: W. Clint Hoffmann email: choffmann@tamu.edu Summary: Water quality has been shown to have significant effects on herbicide efficacy and spray adjuvant effectiveness. Water hardness is determined by the number of calcium and magnesium ions in a water sample. Ions in hard water can bind with salts of certain herbicides and with some surfactants to form an insoluble salt causing these salts to precipitate out of solution. Many of the new spray adjuvants introduced on the market are highly specialized materials that may or may not be affected by water quality. The research presented will evaluate the effects of water hardness on spray adjuvants ability to influence spray atomization. Tank solutions with water hardness values between 0-1200 ppm will be mixed with several different spray adjuvants. Each of the spray solutions will be sprayed through two commonly used nozzles under a variety of spray pressures (30-60 psi) and airspeeds (120-150 mph). The spray quality (i.e. volume median diameter, relative span, etc.) will be assessed under each test condition to evaluate the influence of water hardness on spray quality. The research presented will allow applicators to make informed decision on selection of appropriate adjuvants or water property modifiers based on the water quality in their area.
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