Adjuvants

A guide to oils, surfactants and other additives

Introduction 2. Modifying how the product interacts with the target

surface
Adjuvants are additives that enhance the properties
of a chemical to improve performance and/or physical Surfactants work to lower the surface tension between
characteristics. While many adjuvants are added by the droplet and the target surface. This action increases
manufacturers, producers may add ‘after-market’ adjuvant the ability for the droplet to spread and stick, enhancing
products to further enhance the efficacy (effectiveness) product efficacy.
and overall cost effectiveness of their chemical Droplets with a high surface tension are spherical in
applications. The most common types of adjuvants shape. This is in comparison with droplets with a low
include: surface tension, that will readily spread out across the
• Surfactants surface to which they are applied (Figure 1a).

• Oils Figure 1a: Contact angle of a droplet on the leaf surface

without (L) and with (R) surfactants.
• Acidifiers and buffers
• Fertiliser adjuvants

How do they work?

Adjuvants can work in three main ways. (Source: Devine et al., 1993 adapted by Hall, 1999)
1. Modifying how chemical products or components
interact within a spray solution Although a lower surface tension is preferred, if the
surface tension is too low, droplet size will decrease.
Products with this action include compatibility agents and This increases the likelihood of spray drift, reinforcing
drift retardants. Compatibility agents help spray solutions the importance of selecting the appropriate pressure and
mix together, avoiding the ‘layering’ of water and chemical nozzles.
within the tank. These agents are especially useful when
using oil based spray solutions, and are commonly
included in ‘off-the-shelf’ chemicals.
Key messages
Drift retardants alter the solution by increasing surface
• Adjuvants are additives that enhance or modify
tension. This decreases the number of fine driftable
the action of a chemical.
droplets, by increasing the viscosity of the mix.
Management practices, however, may negate the need for • They are commonly classified into broad
a drift retardant, including: categories including oils, surfactants, buffers,
acidifiers and fertiliser adjuvants.
• Selecting the appropriate nozzle for the situation;
• Adjuvants can modify how a chemical forms,
• Operating the sprayer at a lower pressure to obtain spreads or behaves within the spray solution
the optimal droplet size; and and/or on the target pest.
• Spraying when conditions are favourable, for example,
when there is not excessive wind speed.
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Adjuvants; a guide to oils, surfactants and other additives

For herbicides, low surface tension does not always What types are available?
increase product efficacy. Research has shown that for
glyphosate, imazethapyr, nicosulfuron, primisulfuron and
1. Surfactants
thiensulfuron-methyl herbicides, reduced droplet size
does not always correlate with improved weed control. It Surfactants are the largest group of spray adjuvants,
is important to always consider the product you’re using, if acting as wetters or spreading agents. Their main role
it has any pre-added adjuvants and if any further additives is to act on the surface of the droplet to reduce surface
are required. tension, improving the spread of the chemical on the
target pest.
3. Modifying how a product moves into a target They are made up of two functional components, a ‘water-
loving’ (hydrophilic) structure, attached to a ‘fat-loving’
To enhance performance, adjuvants may alter the
(lipophilic) component, as shown in Figure 1c. Refered to
behaviour of droplets or the surface of target pests.
as a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance, this is a measure of the
Adjuvants can alter droplet behaviour once in contact degree to which the surfactant is hydrophilic or lipophilic.
with a leaf or insect surface. This will assist in targeted
The balance, size and type of hydrophilic and lipophilic
penetration into the pest, as shown in Figure 1b. This can
portions can have a significant impact on the efficacy of
be achieved through:
adjuvants.
• Physically disrupting the target surface by dissolving
Surfactants can be positive (anionic), negative (cationic)
waxy deposits. This may cause the spray to be
or no-charge (non-ionic), and are classified on the charge
less effective and damage the crop by reducing the
held by the hydrophilic group.
selectivity of the chemical.
Figure 1c: Interaction of hydrophilic and lipophilic parts
• Reducing surface tension. An example of this is how
of a surfactant to reduce surface tension and spread the
glyphosate, with an added surfactant, reduces surface
droplet.
tension to enter through the stomata.

Figure 1b: Cross section of a leaf surface with a spray

droplet on the surface without (L) and with (R) an adjuvant.
The waxy surface acts as a barrier to water droplets.

(Source: Hall et al., 1999)

2. Oils

Oils work to increase penetration into the plant or pest

target, reduce evaporation, and extend the active life
of chemicals. They can be classified into two main
categories based on their origin:

• Vegetable based oils (plant)

• Petroleum based oils (mineral)

(Source: Rochecouste, 2004)
Further classification is based on their formation.
It should be noted that the use of oils may cause
Petroleum based oils are classified by the levels of the
phytotoxicity to crop plants under certain conditions, such
surfactant/emulsifier added, whereas vegetable based oils
as heat or ultraviolet light, following application.
are classified according to whether or not the adjuvant is
esterified.

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Adjuvants; a guide to oils, surfactants and other additives

Although chemical performance is generally enhanced by 4. Fertiliser Adjuvants

the inclusion of oils, it is not applicable to all herbicides.
For example, the addition of oils to glyphosate, which Fertiliser adjuvants are fertilisers added to herbicides
is highly soluble in water, may reduce performance. It to increase performance. The most common active
is important to check compatibility before adding an ingredient of these adjuvants is ammonium sulphate.
adjuvant to the spray tank. Research indicates that ammonium sulphate increases
the efficacy of many salt-based formulations such as
glyphosate and 2,4-D. It is important to always check
the label for advice, as only a limited group of herbicides
recommend the use of ammonium sulphate, including
glyphosate, imazethapyr and pyrasulfotole.

Prilled ammonium sulphate is antagonistic to glyphosate

and the products should not be used together.

Other fertilisers, such as urea and liquid fertilisers, with

nitrogen in an ammonium form, may also increase efficacy.

5. Others

Organic Acids

Organic acids may be used to ‘condition’ water for use in

Many pesticides come with adjuvants already added, so a spray solution to improve efficacy. The most commonly
it’s worth checking the label before adding a product. used organic acid is food grade citric acid.
(Amazone, 2010)
Feeding Modifiers

3. Acidifiers and Buffers These include products that modify the feeding behaviour
of their insect host, including milk powders and
Acidifiers and buffers work to modify a solution through ‘Aminofeed’, among other biological products.
reducing or stabilising pH. This can enhance the efficacy
of herbicides and fungicides, reducing the risk of alkaline Dyes
hydrolysis. Most acidifiers and buffers are ‘dual-purpose’
Dyes improve the consistency of application and
with a surfactant added to improve performance.
subsequent performance by visually indicating the treated
Acidifiers are a mix of organic acids with surfactants, and areas and coverage to operators. Although red and blue
inorganic acids. dyes are most commonly used, titanium dioxide based
dyes are also available, lasting for several months. These
Buffers are based on various salts of organic or inorganic white dyes are highly visible and are useful when sprinkler
acids and occasionally include non-ionic surfactants. and gas-gun application methods are used.
For herbicides present in a salt form, such as 2,4-D, Activators
a low pH may increase efficacy. Research has shown
that products such as 2,4-D and other weak acid Activators work to increase the biological effectiveness
herbicides, may benefit through increased absorption and of chemicals. Substances used as activators include
translocation if applied at a pH below 6. It must be noted surfactants, fertilisers (ammonium based) and oils.
that acidifiers are not always helpful to all chemicals, and
may result in ‘salt out’ or gelling of a product at low pH.

As for insecticides, currently, no labels recommend the

use of these agents to ensure efficacy. Although acidifiers
and buffers reduce the impact of alkaline hydrolysis, it
is best to use a formulated product that has buffering
capacity built in.

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 Adjuvants; a guide to oils, surfactants and other additives

Adjuvant Recommendations

The most important rule to follow when considering using adjuvants, is to read the label carefully and use the adjuvant
recommended by the manufacturer. If there is no adjuvant recommended, you do not need to add one.

When choosing an adjuvant, it is important to choose one that is compatible with your pesticides active ingredients. For
further information and advice on adjuvant use, you should consult with the company who manufactures the product
you are using. As an indicative guide only, you can use the products mode of action to support adjuvant selection, as
shown in Table 1.

Table 1: A quick guide to adjuvant use recommendations based on pesticide mode of action (MOA).

I WANT TO SPRAY... ANSWER

Herbicide Groups

A, B, C, G, M Adjuvants frequently recommended for most products in these groups

F, H, I, J, L, N, Q, R, Z Some adjuvants required for some products

D, E, K, O, P No adjuvants recommended

Insecticide Groups

1A, 1B, 2B, 3A, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13, 1B, 22A, 28 Adjuvants required for some products in some applications

2A, 7, 8, 15, 16, 17, 19, 20, 21, 24, UN No adjuvants recommended

4A, 9B Adjuvants mostly recommended

Fungicide Groups

1, 2, 4, 9, 11, 33, M1, M2, M7, M9 Adjuvants required for some products in some applications

3, 40, M3 Adjuavnts recommended in many situations

5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 20, 28, 29, M, M6, M7 No adjuvants recommended

Plant growth regulators Adjuvants recommended in many situations

Harvest aid products Adjuvants recommended in many situations

Foliar nutrients Adjuvants sometimes recommended

Acknowledgement
This fact sheet was peer reviewed by Scott Mathew, Senior Solutions Development Lead at Syngenta Australia.

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