Iowa Pesticide Applicator Practice Exam

What happens to the application rate when ground speed is doubled while using a sprayer?

1. The application rate remains the same.

2. The application rate is reduced by half.

3. The application rate doubles.

4. The application rate quadruples.

The correct answer is: The application rate is reduced by half.

When the ground speed of a sprayer is doubled, the application rate is reduced by half due to the relationship between speed and application volume. The application rate is determined by the amount of pesticide applied over a specific area. When the speed increases, the sprayer covers more area in the same amount of time, meaning the same volume of pesticide is spread over a larger area. To visualize this, consider that if you maintain the same flow rate but move faster, the distribution of that pesticide becomes less concentrated per unit area. Therefore, if you initially applied a certain amount of pesticide over a fixed distance at a certain speed, doubling that speed would result in applying the same amount of pesticide over twice the distance, effectively halving the application rate for that area. This fundamental principle is critical for ensuring that pesticide application remains effective and compliant with label instructions, which often specify application rates in relation to ground speed.