LV and ULV spraying equipment offer the advantage
of being capable of spraying larger surface areas with
the same volume of pesticide. This has environmental
benefits, and can also reduce the exposure hazard. The
Electrodyn sprayer atomizes and propels charged
droplets of pesticide by electrical forces set up between
a high-voltage positively charged nozzle, the droplets
themselves and the earthed target crop (Morgan,
1989). The charged, oil-based droplets are mutually
repellent, which reduces drift and improves the accuracy
of deposition. In addition the pesticide formulation
is supplied in a special disposable unit, which holds
a standard formulation of spray chemical and incorporates
a nozzle. This eliminates the need for measuring,
handling and mixing concentrated chemicals and the
need for nozzle maintenance. LV and ULV spraying
equipment should be treated with caution, however.
Because higher concentrations of pesticides are used,
exposure to the chemicals presents a greater hazard.