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DRIFTSIM

software
posted on 2023-11-30, 08:22 authored by Heping Zhu, Erdal H. Ozkan, Robert D. Fox

DRIFTSIM can be used to determine the effects of major drift-causing factors on the mean drift distances up to 656 feet from the release point for individual water droplets or classes of droplets.

Unlike other computer simulation software, DRIFTSIM requires no special skills to operate and computer system requirements are minimal: Pentium processor, CD drive, MS-Windows version 3.1 or later, 8 Mb of memory, 30 Mb free hard drive space and a mouse.

Large amounts of pesticides are applied worldwide on a wide variety of crops. While pesticides are essential for high quality, abundant food, they pose risks if applied improperly. Of particular concern is the potential for spray droplets to drift to areas other than the intended targets.

In order to assist applicators choose the optimum spray conditions to minimize spray drift, Heping Zhuand Robert Foxof the USDA Agricultural Research Service and Erdal Ozkan of the Ohio State University have developed DRIFTSIM--a user-friendly computer program capable of predicting drift distances of spray droplets under a wide variety of conditions. Unlike other computer simulation software, DRIFTSIM requires no special skills to operate and computer system requirements are minimal: Pentium processor, CD drive, MS-Windows version 3.1 or later, 8 Mb of memory, 30 Mb free hard drive space and a mouse.

DRIFTSIM rapidly estimates the mean drift distances of water droplets discharged from atomizers on field sprayers.

The program, which is the only spray drift estimation software that works on portable computers, enables researchers to predict and calculate spray drift potentials which previously was not possible.

Extension agencies and researchers can use the program to evaluate spray drift problems and train spray operators to adjust sprayer settings to improve the application performance.

To download and install the Driftsim software:

  1. Fill in the form below and click Take me to the download
  2. Create a folder named Driftsim on your hard drive.
  3. Click DriftsimInstall.exe and choose to save the file to your Driftsim folder
  4. When the download is complete, double-click DriftsimInstall.exe. In the Win-zip Self-Extractor window, click Unzip to extract the program files to the DepositScan folder.

Refer to the Manual.pdf in the Driftsim folder for guidance in using DepositScan.

Additional information is available at https://www.ars.usda.gov/Research/docs.htm?docid=11228


Resources in this dataset:

Funding

Agricultural Research Service

History

Data contact name

Zhu, Heping

Data contact email

Heping.Zhu@ARS.USDA.GOV

Publisher

United States Department of Agriculture

Theme

  • Not specified

ISO Topic Category

  • environment
  • farming

National Agricultural Library Thesaurus terms

working conditions; computer software; models; scanners; droplets; image analysis; spray deposition; computer simulation; computers; memory; application technology; atomizers; sprayers; spray drift; risk; crops; applicators; prediction; Plant Science and Plant Products; Natural Resources Earth and Environmental Sciences

OMB Bureau Code

  • 005:18 - Agricultural Research Service

OMB Program Code

  • 005:040 - National Research

Primary article PubAg Handle

Pending citation

  • No

Public Access Level

  • Public

Preferred dataset citation

Zhu, Heping; Ozkan, Erdal H.; Fox, Robert D. (2019). DRIFTSIM. United States Department of Agriculture.