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AcknowledgmentsThisworkissupportedbytheTataTrusts.
EnhancingtheefficiencyofpesticideapplicationMaherDamak,Seyed RezaMahmoudi,Nasim Hyder,andProf.Kripa VaranasiMassachusettsInstituteofTechnology
AbstractandOpportunityPesticidesareanessentialinputinagriculture.However,theyaretoxicandpollutetheecosystem.Here,wearedevelopinganadditivethatenhancespesticideapplicationefficiency,therebyreducingtheneededquantity.
• Hydrophobicplants(i.e.,wheat,onion,cabbage…)thatrepelsprayedpesticidesarecommon
• Indianfarmerscanrarelyaffordexpensivesprayingequipment(i.e.,electrostaticsprayers)
ProposedSolutionWeaddoppositelychargedpolymerstotwosolutionsoftheliquidandspraythemsimultaneously.
Thesepolymersattractonthesurfaceandformhydrophilicdefectsthatpinthedroplets,therebyenhancingtheliquidretention.
Results• Whendropletscoalesceonthesurface,chargedpolymers
precipitateintosurfacehydrophilicdefects.Thesedefectsexertastronglocalpinningforceonthedropletandpreventitfrombouncing.
• Transitionfrombouncingtostickingindropimpactstranslatesintoamuchhighermacroscopicretentionofsprays.
ValueProposition
• Easy-to-usesolutionwithnobarriertoentry
• Tenfoldincreaseinpesticideretention
• Reductionofproductioncostsandenvironmentalfootprint
ReferencesBergeron,V.,Bonn,D.,Martin,J.Y.&Vovelle,L.Controllingdropletdepositionwithpolymeradditives.Nature 405, 772–775(2000).
DeRutter,H.,Uffing,A.J.,Meinen,E.&Prins,A.Influenceofsurfactantsandplantspeciesonleafretentionofspraysolutions.WeedSci. 567–572(1990).
GenerallyinIndia,noprotectiveequipmentiswornwhensprayingpesticides
Drop-on-dropimpactswithpolyelectrolytes.Thefirstcolumncontainsschematicsoftwopossiblescenarios.Thenextcolumnsaresnapshotsofindividualdropimpactsforeachofthepreviousscenarios.TherightmostcolumncontainsSEMimagesofthesurfaceafterimpact.
Schematicofsimultaneoussprayingofoppositepolyelectrolytes.
Surfacecoverageandretainedvolumeforwaterandoppositepolyelectrolytessprayingonasuperhydrophobicsurface.
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