North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Gordon C. Nofs" <gcnofs@hotmail.com>]

Wow what a time I had to get this from scanner to here. It had pitctures 
etc.
  There are two more like this, and 13 pages of information on different 
chemicals and solutions.



Gordon C. Nofs
Flint, Michigan  48506-2258
e-mail:gcnofs@hotmail.com

ADJUST SPRAY SOLUTION PH NOT SPRAY WATER PH

Almost every chemical or spray carrier will alter pH.

By T. E. "TED" WHITMORE
SPRAY water pH is never a singular problem. Once any spray
chemical is added to the water,it is no longer just water,  it's a spray
solution. Spray chemicals live, die or degrade in spray solutions of which 
the water is only a part. We must learn to test and adjust spray solution 
pH, not spray water pH.
I had this sharply driven home while talking to a spray applicator in
Springfield. MO. His well (spray) water was pH 7.2. The spray in his truck 
at the time contained Dursban and an iron/nitrogen fertilizer material: the 
spray solution was pH 2.5. The water pH was meaningless and if the water had 
been pH adjusted with an acidifier before the chemicals were put in the 
tank. it would have made a bad situation worse.
Almost every chemical we add to the water, or other spray carrier solution. 
will alter both the pH and the buffering capacity of the resulting solution. 
Some will raise the pH, others will lower it. Some have a strong buffering 
effect, others have little. Water from differing sources at different times 
has different buffering capacity
and dissolved minerals. Acidifiers to lower spray pH are another serious 
problem:
•  Citric acid and vinegar have no legal ag labels and vinegar is a very
expensive acidifying agent compared to COMMERCIAL Spray acidifiers.
* Many soluble plant nutrients are excellent acidifiers and buffering
agents. They are legal to use and have definite benefits for the crop being 
sprayed.
• Muriatic and sulfuric acids are "hard acids"' that react with and de-
stroy some spray chemicals. The pH adjustment they provide disappears as
they react and the spray solution. pH returns to what it was before.
Excellent spray acidifiers/buffers are readily available through ag chem
suppliers. The terminology here is somewhat confusing because most
available "buffers" are acidifier agents and those labelled acidifier
agents are buffers too. Some are. also excellent compatibility agents, and 
surfactants. All aspects considered they're usually cheaper as well.

WHAT TO DO
• Determine the pH adjustments that will be needed for the sprays you
are about to apply. Bottle test if practical and determine what the pH of 
the. spray mix is going to be and how much adjustment will be needed. If 
bottle. testing is not practical, mix up a tank and immediately check the pH 
and make necessary adjustments. Keep record of what it took to adjust the 
tank in order to use the same adjusment in subsequent tanks.
• In subsequent tanks, first add the pH adjustment, then the other spray
ingredients.
• Test again, every time you change anything in the spray: water source, 
pesticides, other additive: etc., and periodically for each water source as 
the season progresses.

Whitmore is a retired ag chemical salesman
and now works as an ag spray consultant
and freelance writer

FARM CHEMICAL (Magazine?)

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