Influence of spray formulation surface tension on spray droplet adhesion and shatter on hairy leaves

Abstract

An empirical spray droplet adhesion model developed to predict the adhesion of spray formulations to nonhairy leaf surfaces based on their specific wettability has previously been improved to allow predictions to hairy leaves since it had been discovered that leaf hairs cause a significant consistent increase in droplet shatter compared to nonhairy leaves (superhairy leaves demonstrate distinctly different adhesion behaviour) The current study investigated the effect of spray formulation surface tension on droplet adhesion to hairy leaf surfaces The amount of shatter on hairy leaves was found to increase with decreasing surface tension The relationship derived improved the adhesion model This enables the model to better predict the effect of spray formulation on spray droplet adhesion of hairy leaf species