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AIR-ASSISTED ELECTROSTATIC APPLICATION OF ENVIRONMENTALLY- SAFE PESTICIDES

Award Information
Agency: Department of Agriculture
Branch: N/A
Contract: N/A
Agency Tracking Number: 14751
Amount: $215,000.00
Phase: Phase II
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N/A
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: N/A
Award Year: 1992
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
1880 Commerce Rd Suite 107
Athens, GA 30607
United States
DUNS: N/A
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Steven C Cooper
 () -
Business Contact
Phone: () -
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

IN CURRENT AGRICULTURAL SPRAYING, LESS THAN 20% OF PESTICIDEREACHES THE INTENDED PLANT; MOST DRIFTS OR DEPOSITS ON THE SOIL, RESULTING IN ECONOMIC LOSS AND ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARD. SPRAY REACHING PLANTS IS OFTEN WASTED BECAUSE OF POOR PLACEMENT OF DROPLETS. EXCESS PESTICIDE DEPOSITS ARE PLACEDON UPPER LEAF SURFACES, AND LOWER CANOPY REGIONS RECEIVE INSUFFICIENT DOSAGES. LESS THAN 1% OF APPLIED SPRAY CONTACTS PEST ORGANISMS ON UNDERLEAF SURFACES. VARIOUS TYPES OF ENVIRONMENTALLY-SAFE PESTICIDES ARE EMERGING AS POTENTIAL SUBSTITUTES FOR PRESENTLY-USED SYNTHETIC COMPOUNDS. THESE NEW MATERIALS, HOWEVER, ARE WEAK PESTICIDES AND MUST BE PLACED ON UNDERLEAF SURFACES FOR BENEFICIAL EFFECT. IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE ECONOMIC BENEFIT THRESHOLDS WITH ENVIRONMENTALLY-SAFE ALTERNATIVES, PRESENT APPLICATION METHODS MUST BE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED. THIS PROJECT WILL STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF UTILIZING AIR-ASSISTED ELECTROSTATIC SPRAYING TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE SPRAY EFFICIENCY AND THE UNDERLEAF PLACEMENT OF DROPLETS. STUDIES WILL DETERMINE CHARGEABILITY OF VARIOUS LOW-TOXICITYCOMPOUNDS, AIR-VELOCITY AND TURBULENCE WITHIN PLANT CANOPIESDURING PASSAGES OF AIR-ASSISTED SPRAY, MASS-TRANSFER AND SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF SPRAY ON FOLIAGE, AND INSECT CONTROLEFFICACY OF AIR-ASSISTED CHARGED SPRAYS COMPARED TO CONVENTIONAL SPRAYS.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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