Aerial Applications of Foliar Controlled Release Nitrogen (with and without additional adjuvant) on Crop Coverage and Deposition of Pesticides.

Aerial application of pesticides (especially fungicides) has been gaining importance in the Midwestern Corn Belt for several years.  Carriers or additives to spray volumes that enhance coverage and/or contribute to increased yield are gaining interest.  Four different adjuvants, with or without foliar nitrogen products, as well as foliar nitrogen products alone, were evaluated.  Evaluations were performed by either state agencies or Land Grant Universities in four states on equivalent deposition in volume of liquid per acre and droplet volume mean diameter (VMD).  Equivalent coverage compared to water alone ranged from 3x with adjuvant included to the water to more than 6x with foliar nitrogen applied as the sole carrier.  VMD increased almost 9% when an adjuvant was included and over 15% when foliar nitrogen was added to the adjuvant when compared to water alone.  Two locations were taken to yield and in those trials yield was increased from 3 to 5% depending on the treatments.