The appropriate selection and use of spray nozzles are essential for the correct pesticides application. The objective of this study was to evaluate the droplet spectrum of hydraulic standard flat fan and hollow cone spray nozzles, with different nominal flows. In laboratory, droplet spectrum, using a real time laser particle size analyzer, was measured with the operating pressure ranging from 200 to 400 kPa, for flat fan, and from 400 to 600 kPa, for hollow cone. A theoretical study was also carried out on the horizontal distance traveled by droplets of known size. The hollow cone nozzles presented smaller droplets in relation to the flat fan, and provided larger droplets densities deposited on surface objective. All nozzles presented great density of deposited droplets, superior to 110 droplets cm-2. However, the drift potential was great, mainly regarding the hollow cone nozzles, requesting, therefore, strategies for its reduction. It is possible to estimate the horizontal distance traveled by droplets of known size.
droplet size; drift; work pressure
