Which spray modifiers improve pesticide penetration into the treated surface?

• A. Stick ers
• B. Surfactants
• C. Penetrants
• D. Drift Reduction

Answer: (C)

Penetration into the treated surface is enhanced by penetrants. These adjuvants are designed to help the active ingredient cross barriers like the plant cuticle by reducing surface tension and sometimes dissolving or softening waxy surfaces, making it easier for the pesticide to move into the tissue where it can act. That direct effect on crossing the barrier is what makes penetrants the best choice when the goal is to boost uptake through the surface.

Stickers keep droplets from washing off and stay on the surface longer, improving residual coverage rather than helping the chemical move through the surface. Surfactants, while they improve wetting and spreading so the spray covers more area, mainly aid contact with the surface and don’t necessarily increase penetration. Drift reduction focuses on keeping the spray from moving off-target, not on enhancing uptake into the surface.