Stick the Landing
May 01, 2025

Avoid temperature inversions and choose your adjuvants wisely to minimize drift.
By Cullen Wiggins, GreenPoint Ag Crop Protection Marketing Manager
When spraying a crop-protection product, it’s more important than ever to stick the landing. With high input costs and increasing scrutiny over off-target movement, making sure that every drop of spray hits its intended mark has never been more critical. Whether you’re applying herbicides across thousands of acres or treating pastureland, the difference between an effective application and one that drifts away usually comes down to two key factors: weather conditions — specifically temperature inversions — and the adjuvants you include in your tank mix.
Let’s start with one of the most misunderstood—yet impactful—environmental factors: the temperature inversion.
What is a temperature inversion?
While inversion-related issues have been widely discussed in the context of Dicamba or 2,4-D herbicides, the truth is that any herbicide can be compromised by these atmospheric conditions. Even glyphosate, which rarely causes visual off-target damage, can be adversely affected if caught in an inversion. That means you’re losing active ingredient — and money — into thin air.
Best practices for avoiding inversions
Check the boom height
Adjuvants: The unsung heroes of every tank mix
Other formulations in the “Lock” family, including MasterLock®, PowerLock®, UltraLock®, and StrikeLock®, combine drift reduction technology with other key benefits, such as enhanced surfactant properties or compatibility with high-performance herbicides. For example, MasterLock is a go-to option for corn fungicide applications because it won’t contribute to arrested ear syndrome—a risk associated with some surfactants applied during VT-R1 growth stages.
Meanwhile, UltraLock is a great fit for growers using Enlist™ herbicide systems, offering tank mix flexibility without compromising on drift control. These adjuvants are not just extras—they are essential tools for safeguarding herbicide performance and ensuring coverage, even under challenging field conditions.
Understanding your water and weed targets
In a time when every acre —and every drop— counts, don’t leave your results to chance. Visit with your local Co-op or GreenPoint Ag advisor to ensure you’re using the right adjuvants, in the right combinations, under the right conditions. Whether you’re managing pastures, row crops, or custom applications, the path to cleaner fields and better yields starts with smarter spraying.