Deposition, off-target movement, and efficacy of capture™ and thiodan™ applied to cantaloupes using five sprayers

Five sprayers were tested to assess deposition efficiency, whitefly control, cantaloupe yield, and off-target movement. These were: an Electrostatic Spraying Systems sprayer (with the charging circuit on and off), a Micromax CDA without air assist, a DeGanya (FMC) with air assist, and a conventional twin nozzle system. The ESS-on and FMC had the highest deposition efficiency on the leaf undersides, and the conventional the lowest. Deposition on the leaf undersides decreased as the canopy closed, with the FMC showing lesser decreases than the ESS systems. For the first two application dates, the ESS-on and ESS-off were associated with greater insect control than the CDA or conventional systems. Later in the season no differences were detected. Overall, cantaloupe yields were not significantly different than for the untreated control. The ESS systems, however, were associated with significantly greater yield of no. 12 cantaloupes than the untreated control. Off-target movement was significantly greater for the FMC than any other system, except the conventional.