Efficient pesticide formulation and regulation mechanism for improving the deposition of droplets on the leaves of rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Abstract BACKGROUND The effective deposition of pesticide droplets on the target leaf surface is critical for improving the utilization of pesticides. We proposed a new way to enhance the droplet deposition on the target leaf surface by changing the properties of pesticide formulation, and this formulation can be sprayed directly or at a low dilution. In addition, it is a simple method to select a suitable concentration and formulation by evaluating the interfacial dilational rheological properties of pesticide droplets. RESULTS The wetting behavior of two types of pesticide formulations prepared by oil‐based solvent on the rice leaf surface was investigated based on the surface free energy, surface tension, contact angle, adhesion tension, and adhesion work. The interfacial dilational rheological properties of different pesticide solutions were measured as a function of concentration. This study clearly demonstrates the fact that water‐in‐oil emulsion has a better wettability than oil‐in‐water emulsion, especially with the increase of the concentration of the solution, the droplets can be wetted and spread faster on the leaves. Compared with vegetable oil (methyl oleate), mineral oil (solvent oil No. 200) has smaller dilational modulus and surface tension, showing excellent wetting properties. CONCLUSION The water‐in‐oil emulsion prepared with solvent oil No. 200 has the smallest dilational modulus, and the spray droplets spread rapidly to the maximum wetting area on the rice leaves, which can be used in an ultra‐low volume spray. The results provide new insights into how to increase the deposition of droplets on superhydrophobic leaf surfaces by screening formulations and concentrations. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.