APSA-80 / Agri-82 (non-ionic surfactant adjuvant)

APSA-80 is an 80% active non-ionic surfactant adjuvant marketed by Amway (manufactured by Sitz Ag Nutrients) for use as a spreader, wetter and penetrant in agricultural spray programmes. Agri-82 is a similar 82% non-ionic surfactant sold by competing Indian brands. Despite the colloquial label "silicon spreader" used by some growers, the products are conventional non-ionic surfactants, not silicone polymers.

Composition / Active ingredient

Active: Non-ionic surfactant blend at 80% (APSA-80) / 82% (Agri-82) total active
Type: Adjuvant; not an active pesticide
Manufacturer: Amway / Nutrilite (Sitz Ag Nutrients) for APSA-80

Mode of action

The surfactant reduces the surface tension of water, enabling the spray droplet to spread more evenly over hydrophobic leaf surfaces and improving cuticular penetration of the active ingredient it is tank-mixed with. Secondary effects include:

Better droplet retention on waxy or hairy leaves
Faster drying and improved rainfastness for some pesticides
Reduced water beading in furrow and drip lines

The same surface-tension reduction is the basis for its irrigation-aid claim: when added to drip water, it helps disperse mineral and biological deposits that can clog emitters.

Target use and dose

Primary uses include:

Spray adjuvant at 0.25-0.5 ml/L of spray mix, with herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and foliar fertilizers
Irrigation aid to reduce surface tension in drip lines, aiding flushing and unclogging
Soil compaction relief via increased water infiltration

Safety and regulatory status

APSA-80 / Agri-82 are adjuvants rather than CIBRC-registered pesticides per se; they should be added only when label recommendations of the partner pesticide allow surfactant addition (some products such as oil-dispersion formulations are pre-formulated with surfactant and adding more can cause phytotoxicity).

References

APSA-80 Sell Sheet. Amway / Nutrilite.
APSA-80. Greenbook.