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Adjuvants

Adjuvants are materials added to crop protection products or agrochemicals to enhance the efficacy of active ingredients and improve the overall performance of the product.

These additives modify the properties of the spray solution, which improves the ability of the active ingredient to target, penetrate or protect the target organism. Adjuvants can be incorporated into a formulation (built-in / in-can adjuvant) or can be added separately into the spray tank alongside other agrochemical products (tank mix adjuvant).

Adjuvants can enhance product performance by:

  • Providing more efficient delivery of active ingredients
  • Reducing the level of active ingredient required
  • Extending the spectrum of effectiveness
  • Replacing high-value or high-toxicity active ingredients with lower value surfactants

This leads to:

  • Better performance and therefore increased yields
  • Less chemical environmental pressures
  • Reduced costs
  • Improved food safety due to lower residue levels

Different types of adjuvants offer various benefits and advantages, which are achieved through five adjuvant processes below. Download the 'Practical Guide to Adjuvants' to learn more.

  • Spray formation
  • Spray retention
  • Wetting
  • Deposit formation
  • Uptake

Practical Guide to Adjuvants

1.9 MB
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The Formulator's Toolbox (Full Version)

The Formulator's Toolbox
3.2 MB
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Understanding droplet characteristics and behaviour

Spray droplets that are too large may bounce off a leaf’s surface and not reach the intended target, but how large is too large and how can spray composition affect droplet retention and deposition?

To understand this, we have developed a method that can produce a single droplet, of an agriculturally relevant size. Our advanced high-speed camera and image analysis operating system then allows us to study the interactions between droplet size and velocity, surface properties and spray composition (including the addition of an adjuvant).

Our analysis shows that factors such as; the nature of the surface, the angle of impact, the size of the droplet and also the composition of the droplet, all have an influence on the spray droplet behaviour. A video showcasing our capability can be seen here, demonstrating how a droplet behaves when it hits a surface and how changes in chemical and physical make-up of that droplet alter impact characteristics. We have an excellent understanding of adjuvant technologies and our experts can help you to choose the best adjuvant to fit your active ingredient.

Product recommendations

The formation and dynamics of spray droplets is important for ensuring products reach their intended target. Adjuvants can influence spray quality by reducing spray drift and wastage, allowing more of the product to reach the target. Therefore, use rates can potentially be reduced, leading to a better environmental profile and a potentially more cost effective solution. The type of adjuvant required is a drift reduction aid / spray drift mitigant.

Atplus™ DRT-EPS

Atplus™ DRT-EPS

A tank mix adjuvant combining adjuvancy, spray quality and drift control into one convenient product that readily dispersed in a tank mix.

Atplus™ DRT-100

Atplus™ DRT-100

An adjuvant system designed to reduce the level of spray drift exhibited by a spray application. Designed for use in built-in formulations or for combination with the formulators own choice of...

Atplus™ DRT-6000

Atplus™ DRT-6000

Atplus DRT-6000, is our new emulsifier for methylated seed oil (MSO) with robust integrated DRT benefits. - Robust DRT product when used as an emulsifier for MSO - Can be used in various proportions...

Example formulations

Formulation finder

Get inspiration from our wide range of tried and tested formulation recipes created by our application scientists globally. Covering multiple agrochemical formulation types, the formulation finder helps you to deliver the innovative solutions you need.

Pourable fungicide adjuvant

Adjuvants for fungicides

Adjuvants play an essential role in increasing the biological efficacy of agrochemicals, view our solutions.

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Resources

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Curious to find out the role surfactants play in adjuvancy?