Feb 12, 2014
Many factors must be considered when choosing a surfactant for use in a pest management program. Here are some guidelines:
Use only surfactants manufactured for agricultural or horticultural uses. Do not use industrial products or household detergents with pesticides because they may interfere with pesticide performance.
Make sure the surfactant has been thoroughly tested and proven effective for your intended use. Avoid questionable products that are not registered for use. In Canada, it is illegal to use a non-registered surfactant.
Some crop chemicals require certain types of surfactants. Determine the correct type and use only a recommended surfactant. (For example, do not substitute an anionic type of surfactant when a non-ionic type is recommended). Selecting the wrong surfactant can reduce the efficacy of the crop chemical and even injure the crop. Non-ionic surfactants are compatible with most pesticides.
A particular crop chemical may require one or more surfactants for a certain use, yet prohibit any surfactant for another use. Read the pesticide label carefully.
Surfactant recommendations may change due to changes in product formulations, newly labelled tank-mixes and pre-mixes, and changes in application technology. Read the pesticide label carefully.