Temperature inversion
A weather phenomenon where air temperature increases with altitude, preventing the normal vertical mixing of air near the ground.
Также говорят: thermal inversion, atmospheric inversion
In agronomy, temperature inversion is a critical factor for pesticide application. During an inversion, the air remains stagnant, which causes fine droplets of sprays to hang in the air instead of settling on the crops, leading to significant off-target drift.
Inversions typically occur on clear, calm evenings and persist until the sun heats the ground the following morning. Farmers should avoid spraying during these times, even if there is no wind, as the lack of vertical mixing makes drift control impossible.
A common mistake is assuming that calm wind conditions are always safe for application. However, if the inversion layer is present, droplets can travel long distances. Always check for signs like horizontal smoke movement or fog, which indicate that atmospheric conditions are unfavorable for field spraying operations.