Croda launches the NEW drone adjuvant, Atplus™ DRT-7000, targeted at the Asian market

Author:

Desmond Tan, Technical Service Manager

Fan Kai Tian, Technical Marketing Manager

Atplus™ DRT-7000 is a robust drift control and wetting / spreading adjuvant that has been designed for tank mix applications for low volume spray applications such as drones.

In recent years, the use of Unmanned Ariel Vehicle (UAV) for agricultural use has been widely accepted by growers. One of the early adopters of this technology, China, has seen an exponential increase¹ for both the adoption rate of use of drones for agriculture and the land treated using drone technology. 

There are numerous advantages the use of drone technology can provide, such as:

-    Reduction in labour inputs

-    Ease of application in complex terrain 

-    Extension of application (e.g., night spray, wetland)

While this application technology offers numerous advantages, it also poses key challenges. The spray application typically covers a distance of approximately 1.5 meters above the canopy, making droplets more susceptible to spray drift concerns, posing potential environmental risks to surrounding areas such as hedgerows, water bodies, and wildlife. 

In comparison to ground application methods, UAVs operate with significantly lower dilution ratios, typically ranging from 5 to 10 times less. Moreover, their spray volumes, ranging from 20 to 50 litres per hectare, are notably lower than the 100 to 150 litres per hectare used in ground applications. Hence, it presents potential compatibility issue when growers use multiple agrochemicals at this dilution rate. However, with the use of adjuvants, these challenges can be overcome. 

To address some of these issues, Croda has developed Atplus™ DRT-7000 which allows for precise targeting, increased crop coverage, minimised wastage, and off-target drift when included in a tank-mix, contributing to a more sustainable and effective UAV-based agricultural approach.

Key features and benefits of Atplus™ DRT-7000:

-    Robust drift control performance

-    Improved spray retention and spreading

-    Low phytotoxicity

-    Safe and non-hazardous

-    Good compatibility with other agrochemicals

-    Designed and targeted for the Asian market

On 21 February 2024, 14 00 SGT, Croda will be hosting a webinar to unveil more information on this new adjuvant. Webinar highlights include:

-    Features & benefits 

-    Drift control performance

-    Adjuvancy performance

-    Phytotoxicity data

-    Field trials data

To register for the webinar, click here. Alternatively, visit the Croda Crop Care website.

¹ Development status and key technologies of plant protection UAVs in China: a review; Peng Hu, Ruirui Zhang, Jiaxuan Yang and Liping Chen