What is Delta-T and Why Does it Matter?
Spraying crops efficiently is one of the most important tasks for any farmer. But did you know that the weather can affect how well your sprays work? One key factor to consider is Delta-T (ΔT).
What is Delta-T?
Delta-T is a measure of how fast water will evaporate from plant surfaces. It is calculated using temperature and humidity. Essentially, it helps determine the drying time of spray droplets, which affects how well the chemicals adhere to plants.
Why Does It Matter?
- High Delta-T (above 10): Sprays evaporate too fast, leading to poor plant coverage, reduced chemical absorption, and wasted chemicals.
- Low Delta-T (below 2): Sprays take too long to dry, increasing the chance of runoff and reduced effectiveness due to dripping or wind drift.
- Ideal Delta-T (2-8): Sprays stick to plants just right, allowing for maximum absorption and efficiency.
How Delta-T Affects Spraying Efficiency
If Delta-T is too high, the tiny droplets of spray solution evaporate before they reach the plant. This leads to increased chemical wastage, ineffective pest and weed control, and higher input costs. On the other hand, if Delta-T is too low, excessive moisture remains on the leaf surface, leading to potential chemical runoff and environmental concerns.
Delta-T is especially crucial for farmers who rely on precision agriculture. By optimizing spray applications based on weather conditions, farmers can significantly reduce chemical loss and improve crop protection.
How Farmable Helps
Farmable, a digital farm management tool, integrates Delta-T monitoring to help farmers optimize their spraying schedules. By using real-time weather data and alerts, Farmable ensures that spraying is done under the best possible conditions, reducing chemical waste, improving application efficiency, and increasing overall crop yield. With its easy-to-use platform, farmers can quickly check Delta-T conditions and make better-informed decisions before applying sprays.
Still want to read more, look at our help center articles:
➡️ How to use delta t for crop treatments:
https://support.farmable.tech/en/articles/7222704-how-to-use-delta-t-for-crop-treatments
➡️ Delta t: too low or too high https://support.farmable.tech/en/articles/7222773-too-low-or-too-high-delta-t-value
