A method which was able to measure quickly and accurately adhesion quantity of agricultural chemicals was developed. Fluorescent materials were used to detect agricultural chemicals in this method. Performance of an agricultural chemicals sprayer has been estimated by a conventional visual inspection or a chemical analysis until now. This method made more quickly and accurately to estimate that performance.
Fluorescent material water solution of 300-500 times the weight was sprayed by the sprayer. An amount of fluorescent material stained on the samples (plants) was quantitatively measured by a fluorescent detector developed for this method. The summaries are as follows.
(1) The fluorescent materials were water-soluble organic pigments.
(2) To avoid the plant pigment fluorescent wavelength, the peak radiation wavelength of the fluorescent materials which was longer than 550 nm was selected.
(3) The wavelength region of exiting radiation for fluorescence was the range of 320-400 nm. and the black light fluorescentlamp as the exiting source was operated with 300 Hz.
(4) To detect a weak fluorescence, a lock-in detection technique, which was synchronous to the lamp operatiog frequency, was used.
(5) Measuring the spray state of agricultural chemicals in field by using this method, the results agreed with those of the conventional method.
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