With knapsack spray applications, off-target deposition of pesticide spray drift can be reduced by several means. In the current research, the effects of drift reducing nozzles, nozzle height and nozzle shielding on spray drift deposition were investigated, using a combined modeling and experimental field trials approach. The drift deposition values derived from this study were compared with the regulatory values for different evaluation strips currently used for environmental risk assessments of pesticide applications in the EU and U.K. The results showed a strong impact of nozzle height on deposition at these evaluation strips. Drift reducing nozzles reduced spray drift with at least their certified drift reduction class in almost all scenarios, and a nozzle shield additionally reduced spray drift. The combination of these three drift reducing measures resulted in a decrease of spray drift deposition on the evaluation strips up to 99% compared to the reference scenario. The results of the model calculations and field measurements were close for deposition values above the detection limit of the field trials. The current study provided realistic drift deposition values for a standardized band spray scenario, which can serve as higher-tier data to refine risk assessments for spot or band spray applications within the current authorization procedures for plant protection products in the EU and U.K.
Keywords: knapsack sprayer; risk assessment; spray drift.
© The Author(s) 2026. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.