Evaluación de deriva de diferentes configuraciones de dron en la aplicación de herbicidas

Drift is one of the main issues that arise in pesticide applications using drones, due to the negative consequences it generates for the environment and human health. The objective of this study is to estimate drift from different drone applicator configurations, evaluated based on adaptations of international standards, specifically ISO 22866-2005. Three different forward speeds were assessed: 7.2 km/h, 21.6 km/h, and 36 km/h. Cyproconazole was used as the tracer to measure drift. Tracer collection zones were placed at 0 m, 100 m, 150 m, and 200 m from the drone’s flight path. Droplet size was also characterized. The experiment was conducted in Colonia Gartental, Río Negro, Uruguay, using an XAG P100 Pro drone. A completely randomized design was used, where each replicate corresponded to a drone pass and its corresponding drift evaluation. All other variables were kept constant: application volume of 12 L/ha, flight height of 3 meters, and droplet size of 230 microns. At each distance, drift was collected using 10 Petri dishes spaced 2 meters apart. Additionally, at 200 m, drift collectors were placed at heights of 1, 2, 3, and 4 meters. The application speeds of 21.6 and 36 km/h produced the highest drift. Within each distance, only at 100 and 150 meters did the 36 km/h speed result in significant differences. The amount of cyproconazole on the plates was 40.8% higher at 36 km/h compared to 21.6 km/h. Within each height, significant differences were found only at 1 meter when applying at 7.2 km/h. The concentration of cyproconazole on the rods was 55 times higher at 36 km/h compared to 21.6 km/h. High forward speeds in drone applications generate greater drift.