Which practice helps minimize spray drift when applying pesticides to turf?

• A. Use drift-control nozzles, apply at proper heights, and maintain buffer zones.
• B. Apply when winds are strong and at high heights.
• C. Increase spray pressure to push droplets away.
• D. Apply during temperature inversions.

Answer: (B)

Controlling spray drift comes from how the droplets behave once released: you want to produce and direct larger droplets toward the target while reducing the distance droplets can travel off-target. Drift-control nozzles help create coarser droplets that are less likely to drift with wind. Keeping the boom at an appropriate height keeps the spray within the turf canopy where air movement is less aggressive, and establishing buffer zones adds a safety margin so nearby areas aren’t exposed. When these practices are used together, off-target movement is minimized.

In contrast, spraying in windy conditions or at high heights increases drift because droplets are more easily carried away. Increasing spray pressure tends to produce finer droplets that drift farther, and applying during temperature inversions traps aerosols in layers of still air, making deposition unpredictable and more likely to drift.