A different look at experiments on pesticide distribution

Experiments on the biological consequences of differences in pesticide distribution include testing differences in application equipment, differences in formulation, and more direct tests of the influence of droplet size, droplet number, or application volume on efficacy for insecticides, herbicides, or fungicides applied as atomized sprays. While these tests have been conducted for at least 60 years, there are continued calls for improving the efficiency of the application process to address ecological, social, and economic concerns of producers and the public about our food and fiber supply. In designing equipment or formulations to address these issues, we need to understand how droplet size, numbers of droplets, toxicant per droplet, and total dose applied influence efficacy. Our solution involves changing our conceptual and experimental framework from a factorial model to a mixture model, and changing our focus from pest management in the field to an individual pest interacting with one pesticide deposit.