Water Conditioners

The role of water conditioning agents is to prevent hard water antagonism, improve herbicide uptake, and prevent premature chemical breakdown. Using ammonium sulfate or AMS-replacement technology to manage hard water is a vital step toward maximizing herbicide performance. 

Ammonium sulfate based water conditioners work by binding with hard water cations, and prevent those same cations from binding with the herbicide. AMS replacement technology works in much the same way, however these acids typically do not aid in herbicide update like ammonium sulfate.

Monitoring and modifying pH in order to prevent chemical breakdown should be addressed separately, with an acidifier or buffering agent based on the pesticide label and what other products are in the tank mix. Conditioning hard water and modifying the spray solution pH are not the same, and require different products to accomplish each task completely.

Although straight water conditioning agents like liquid or dry AMS are available, many water conditioning products are offered in conjunction with other functions. These multi-function adjuvant products may include a blend of mineral and organic acids as water conditioners along with a drift reduction aid, a surfactant, or an oil additive.