Enhancing the Stability and Effectivity of Multiple Pesticide Formulation Mixtures by Adding an Eco-Friendly Adjuvant

In recent years, aviation spray has been developed rapidly in plant protection, and it is common to mix pesticide formulations or fertilizers before spraying. However, serious instability of the pesticide tank mixture usually occurs in the process, resulting in loss of effect, drug damage, and even huge environmental pollution. However, this has not been studied further by researchers. Here, we evaluated the stability of the pesticide tank mixture by particle size, zeta potential, multiple light scattering, etc., and screened out the surfactants sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), sodium lauryl polyoxyethylene ether sulfate (AES), and natural polymer xanthan gum (XG) to stabilize the system. The results indicate that SDS and AES stabilize the pesticide tank mixture relying on the increase in the electrostatic repulsion of colloidal particles; XG stabilizes the system due to the increase in the steric hindrance. The results of multiple light scattering show that all 2.0 wt % SDS, 2.0 wt % AES, and 0.05 wt % XG decrease the stability index (SI) of the pesticide tank mixture from 1.44 to less than 0.71, which significantly improves the stability. Overall, our results demonstrate the feasibility of using XG as a safer, more cost-effective, and sustainable alternative to commercial synthetic compatibility agents.