As tender new leaves of corn, cotton and other crops begin to push through the soils
of America's farmlands this spring, agriculture's annual battle against crop pests will
begin anew. Across the nation, tractor and truck-mounted spray rigs and agricultural
spray planes will begin applying millions of gallons of herbicides, insecticides and
fungicides to protect crops from from destructive insect, disease and weed pests.

According to EPA reports, American agriculture uses more than a billion pounds of pesticide
active ingredient annually, Environmental advocates charge that farmers use more pesticide
than necessary. Growers, who must pay for the costs of material and application out of their
own pockets, counter that they use no more pesticide than is necessary to protect their crops.

Agricultural researchers say that without access to modern pest control chemicals, up to half
the nation's food crop could be lost to worms, beetles, mildews and other pests. They suggest
that the solution lies not in banning pesticides, but in finding more efficient methods of using
and applying them.

This spring, farmers in south-central Texas will have a first-hand opportunity to discover
for themselves if an innovative new application system can effectively reduce the amount
of pesticide necessary to control crop pests. They will become the first U.S. growers to have
their fields commercially treated with an aerial spray system that uses electricity to cause
spray droplets to be attracted to the crop foliage as they approach the surface of the field.

The electrostatic spray system, developed by USDA-ARS agricultural engineers at College
Station, Texas, is now being commercialized by Houston-based Spectrum Electrostatic
Sprayers, Inc. The system is already in use in Costa Rica, where banana growers are
using electrostatic spray technology to control a fungal disease called black sigatoka.

Unlike the conventional spray systems used on agricultural aircraft, the
electrostatic system uses an electrical charge to temporarily alter the number
of electrons in each atom of the spray mixture. Following the laws of physics,
the charged spray droplets seek a neutral host as they reach the surface. And
unlike the droplets discharged from a conventional spray nozzle, the electrically-
charged droplets overcome the forces of gravity and inertia as they are pulled
to the upper and lower surfaces of the crop foliage.

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While most aerial spray systems are designed to apply several gallons of spray solution
per acre, the electrostatic spray system permits low volume applications of one gallon or
less. Not only does that mean farmers will pay for less pesticide, but also that aerial
applicators can treat up to five times more acres with a single tank of spray solution.

Electrostatic technology isn't new. Photocopiers use an electrostatic charge to cause the
toner to be attracted to the paper. Auto manufacturers use electrostatic paint sprayers to
help make the paint stick to the metal surface of the vehicle.

Nor is this the first time electrostatic technology has been used in the crop sprayer industry.
Blake Dobbins, president of Spectrum Electrostatic Sprayers, Inc., says thousands of
electrostatic ground sprayers have gone into use in orchards and field crops in the last 20 years.

But this is the first time that electrostatic technology has been available for the agricultural
aviation market. And as the nation's 3,500 aerial applicators face the threat of increased
regulation by state and federal authorities, interest in the technology is heating up. Last
December, many of the aerial applicators attending the National Agricultural Aviation
Association convention in Reno came specifically to learn more about this unique new spray system.

More applicators are keeping a close eye on spray activities in Texas this spring.
"Aerial applicators have tried everything from lowering their spray booms to adding winglets
to the wings of their aircraft to reduce spray drift and improve their deposition patterns,"
says Dobbins. "But it's been a long time since there have been any real innovations in spray
application technology for ag aviation."

Dobbins says the advantages of the electrostatic system are compelling. "As banana growers
in Central America have already discovered, the system will help farmers achieve more effective
pest control with less pesticide used per acre. Aerial applicators who use the system will be able
to treat more acres per tank of spray solution, which means less fuel, less time in the air,
and less wear and tear on their aircraft," he adds.