The term Ultra-Low Volume (ULV) (spraying) is used in the context of pesticide application

Pesticide application

Pesticide application refers to the practical way in which pesticides, are delivered to their biological targets...

.

Ultra-low volume application of pesticides has been defined as spraying at a Volume Application Rate (VAR) of les than 5 L/ha for field crops or les than 50 L/ha for tree/bush crops. VARs of 0.25 – 2 l/ha are typical for aerial ULV application to forest or migratory pests.

ULV spraying is a well-established spraying technique and remains the standard method of locust control

Desert locust

Plagues of the desert locust have threatened agricultural production in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia for centuries. The livelihood of at least one-tenth of the world’s human population can be affected by this voracious insect...

 with pesticides and is also widely used by cotton

Cotton

Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....

 farmers in central-southern and western Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

. It has also been used in massive aerial spraying campaigns against disease vectors such as the tse-tse fly.

A major benefit of ULV application is high work rate (i.e. hectares can be treated in one day). It is a good option if all (or some) of these conditions apply:

• large area of land to treat
• rapid response required
• little or no water for making pesticide tank mixtures
• logistical problems for supplies
• difficult terrain: poor access to target site

Equipment

ULV equipment is designed to produce very small droplets, thus ensuring even coverage with low volumes. The equipment is based on aerosol, air-shear (mistblowers, exhaust gas sprayers) or better still, rotary nozzle techniques. An electrostatic charge may be applied to the droplets to aid their distribution and impaction (on earthed targets), but commercial equipment is rare at present.

See also

• ULV spraying equipment
• aerial spraying
• locust control
  Desert locust
  Plagues of the desert locust have threatened agricultural production in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia for centuries. The livelihood of at least one-tenth of the world’s human population can be affected by this voracious insect...
  
  
• pesticide application
  Pesticide application
  Pesticide application refers to the practical way in which pesticides, are delivered to their biological targets...