Syngenta’s new 3D ninety nozzle has been awarded a four-star Lerap rating – the highest available in the UK testing system run by Silsoe Spray Applications Unit.

It was found to reduce drift by 90% compared with a conventional flat fan in the same conditions, and the rating was achieved at up to 5bar on 05, 06 and 08 nozzle sizes, rather than purely at low pressures where droplets are larger and less likely to be affected by wind.

The design features a pre-orifice that means it is compatible with pulse-width modulation technology, unlike some designs of nozzle that use air-induction to create lower-drift droplets.

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© Syngenta

It also sits at a 55deg angle that, when mounted on the sprayer in alternating forward- and backward-facing positions, produces results to match or better the established Defy 3D nozzle in pre-emergence herbicide applications.

The combination of the nozzle angle and droplet spectrum has also proven effective for foliar applications in dense crop leaf canopies, such as those of potatoes and beans, plus later treatments in oilseed rape.

The nozzles are now available in 05 and 06 sizes with snap-lock caps, with the full range, from 03 to 08, expected to hit the market in the autumn.