From

Location

Message

Date Posted

milford, CT,

This year I decided to use a Spreader/Sticker with some of my spray applications. What products (fungicides, insecticideds, etc..) should I use it with, and what do I need to be careful of. Mark

4/7/2007 6:13:17 PM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

Mark, spreader/stickers are generally non-ionic and any commercial product will do. Just be sure it it labeled non-ionic.

I use a product called Lightning which I get from my farmer buddy. It's great because it's free!

Along with Agro-K comes a component called crop oil. Does the same thing: reduces surface tension of the carrier(water).

Only a small amount is required, so follow label directions.

4/7/2007 7:00:39 PM

milford, CT,

Thanks...did you use it on all foliar spraying...Compost tea?, Kelp, Fish... or only on chemical applications

4/7/2007 9:04:59 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

http://www.exactoinc.com/pendex.html

4/7/2007 10:21:50 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Mark,

There is so much more to spray adjuvants than just "spreader stickers". Start by reading this:

http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/facts-slides-self/facts/gen-peapp-adjuvants.html

4/7/2007 10:25:20 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Typical non ionic surfactants include the simple spreader stickers. These are fine for general purpose use.

But with the advent of some new chemistry you can do much better now.

Fungicides particularly benefit not from the use of drying agents (spreader stickers) but rather from staying wetter longer. Fungicides that penetrate the leaf cuticle (as some were engineered to do) will only benefit from a reduced surface tension & staying WET. The drying agents in cheaper stickers will actually REDUCE the efficacy of certain DMI (sterol inhibitors) fungicides like Eagle, Banner, etc.

In this article you can see where a low cost application of Captan & Sulfur with fatty amine hydrophobes improved efficacy beyond the performance of Abound fungicide.

See pages 50-58 of the following article.

http://www.surface.akzonobel.com/bulletins/Agro%20Applications%20Catalog.pdf

I've said for years that the right adjuvants can make lousy fungicides work even better than good ones. The trick is knowing which ones to use to which products & when. LOL

We can talk more about it. I'll have a true organosilicone surfactant as well as MSO in quarts very shortly. They're currently only available in 5 gallon cases.

4/7/2007 11:05:46 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Ranman is a new group 21 (strobilurin) fungicide. See what FMC had to say about surfactants:

"RANMAN should be tank-mixed with an organosilicone surfactant when the disease infection is severe or a non-ionic surfactant or a blend of an organosilicone and a non-ionic surfactant when disease infection is moderate or light, at the manufacturer’s label recommendations for water volumes up to 60 gallons per acre."

Note that as disease severity increases, the use of an organosilicone is recommended else results wil falter.

RANMAN is considered a "reduced risk" fungicide s while it is less injurious to mammals & the environment, we can only get the best results by literaly *punching" it into the leaves.

Pretty cool how less toxic &/or cheaper stuff can be made to work better than more expensive or toxic stuff.

4/7/2007 11:16:33 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Just in case you're not tired of reading about this subject yet:

http://www.apsnet.org/pd/pdfs/2003/0317-02R.pdf

Colorado State discovered & published more of what I was saying up above. CSU even found that a simple Mancozeb spray with organosilicone controlled rust for 21 days which was better than the best "fancy" fungicide. LOL

4/7/2007 11:29:45 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

The history of Spray Adjuvants according to Helena:

http://www.helenachemical.com/proprietary/products/adjuvants/history.htm

4/7/2007 11:36:19 PM

South Bloomfield, Ohio

Mark,

I use surfactant with every foliar application, be it nutrient or pesticide.

4/8/2007 7:57:50 AM

Ontario, Canada.

Steve, wonderful links, as usual your are on top of your game. Thanks for the info. I need me a good organosilicone surfactant. Can we discuss shipping to Ontario if possible?

Russ

4/8/2007 9:02:46 AM