Australia
August 2, 2017
Uptake Spraying Oil (left) provides better spreading and wetting than non-ionic surfactants (right)
Uptake™ Spraying Oil this year celebrates 25 years of sales in the Australian market. Originally developed to support the launch of Verdict™ 104 Herbicide, trial work began in 1988 and was first used commercially in 1992. Since then, Uptake Spraying Oil has been established as a stalwart in the crop protection industry; a reputation built on trust and performance. You can be guaranteed that there is NO replica or generic copy of Uptake Spraying Oil in the market. One of the key points of differentiation of this unique proprietary blend is that Uptake Spraying Oil provides consistently reliable performance at 0.5% v/v, offering a cheaper price per applied hectare (versus price per litre).
“Uptake has certainly stood the test of time” admits Mr Bryce Sturgess, Dow AgroSciences’ Portfolio Business Manager. “As a research and development company, we continually review our products to ensure we are using the best available ingredients for the best outcome in the paddock. Uptake has been subject to some tweaks over the years, ensuring continuous improvement to this premier spray adjuvant.”
This is possible with Uptake Spraying Oil , compared with most spray adjuvants, as it has six ingredients, as opposed to only one or two for most surfactants and spray oils. “A key focus for Uptake over the last few years has been to ensure its consistency and efficacy is retained at lower temperatures” explains Dow AgroSciences’ Development Chemist Mr Derek Hopkins. “Other adjuvants can turn to jelly when winter temperatures drop below four degrees. Uptake does not do that. You will not be scraping Uptake out of the bottom of your spray tank due to low temperatures!”
Scraping glug out of the bottom of a spray tank may, however, be the least of your concerns. Poor adjuvant quality has been identified as the root cause in numerous poor spray jobs, as well as crop damage and yield loss. “Using a tried and true, premium quality crop oil concentrate, where one is required on the product label, is the only way to ensure the best outcome, particularly in testing Australian conditions. At the end of the day it’s all about the herbicide performance so why put that at risk” questions Mr Sturgess.
“Ongoing in-paddock testing has also ensured that Uptake is a perfect match to our new chemistry such as Paradigm™ herbicide with Arylex™ active, as well as the upcoming Pixxaro™ herbicide with Arylex active” explains Mr Sturgess. Independent laboratory studies over the past few years has repeatedly shown that Uptake Spraying Oil provides better spray retention and spreading, particularly on grass species, than other crop oils. Other adjuvants tested often had to be applied at significantly higher rates than Uptake Spraying Oil to achieve the same results.
More recent studies in the laboratory and field clearly indicate that where a crop oil concentrate is required, it cannot be substituted with a non-ionic surfactant. When compared to a non-ionic surfactant, Uptake Spraying Oil provided: faster reduction in droplet surface tension, implying faster spread; substantially lower equilibrium surface tension, implying wider final spread; increased spread with increased concentration; and faster and greater uptake of herbicide into broadleaf plants. These findings combine to result in a faster, more reliable result in the paddock.
Understanding the difference between adjuvants and how each type works differently in various circumstances, such as spray tank partners and environmental conditions, is important in ensuring the success of each spray job. “Our Uptake online learning module outlines all of the different adjuvant types and how each of them work” explains Mr Sturgess. “Our focus is to ensure farmers get the best out of their herbicide application; whether that is with Uptake or another adjuvant will depend on the individual spray job.”
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