Ag Spray Stickin’ Around

When agricultural spray droplets hit leaves, they tend to bounce—literally. A new solution from MIT and spinoff AgZen helps droplets stick around on leaves, which could slice into waste and environmental impact. 

How it works: Out of the nozzle, each droplet is coated in a super thin layer of oily material. When the droplets land on water-repellent surfaces (read: plant leaves), they spread out and stay put instead of bouncing off-target. 

The solution can work with existing sprayers plus a new nozzle. Surfactants and adjuvants that are already on the farm can be used for the oily coating. 

Spray savings: AgZen developed a real-time monitoring system to see how much farmers save with the new technology. Across different crop types and farm sizes, the system has saved farmers between 30% and 50% on pesticide costs. 

Soundbite: “You could give back a billion dollars to U.S. growers if you just saved 6% of their pesticide budget.” — Vishnu Jayaprakash, AgZen CEO 

Where this goes: Toward commercialization. AgZen recently raked in $10M in venture financing. In 2025, the system will be used on 920K acres across the U.S., France, and Italy.