Which practice helps reduce pesticide drift during application?

• A. Avoid application in windy conditions
• B. Apply at maximum nozzle pressure
• C. Use the smallest droplet size
• D. Increase boom height beyond recommended

Answer: (C)

Drift control hinges on keeping spray from moving off target, which is strongly affected by wind and how large the droplets are. The best practice to reduce drift is to avoid applying when there’s wind or gusts, because calm conditions keep droplets closer to the target and reduce off-target movement. Droplet size plays a big role too: smaller droplets behave like mist and can be carried far by even light breezes, while larger, coarser droplets fall toward the target more quickly. The other options would tend to increase drift—high nozzle pressure creates finer droplets, using the smallest droplet size increases drift, and raising the boom height beyond recommended lets droplets travel farther before reaching the surface. So, choosing calm conditions with appropriate droplet size and equipment settings minimizes drift.