Tank Mix & Get the Order Right
Sequences conditioners
Add your products by formulation type and get the correct W-A-L-E-S addition order, a pair-by-pair compatibility verdict and a jar-test flag — so the tank does not curdle, clump or separate.
Your tank-mix products
- A1.Fungicide (WDG)Wettable / dry (WP, WDG, DF, SP)
- E2.Insecticide (EC)Emulsifiable concentrates (EC)
- S3.SurfactantSurfactants / adjuvants
Dry product can clump if an EC's oil coats it before it disperses — add the wettable first and agitate fully.
No known incompatibility for these formulation types — still observe label order.
No known incompatibility for these formulation types — still observe label order.
Next: fill the tank to half with clean water, add in the shown W-A-L-E-S order with full agitation between each, then jar-test a small sample first (mix at use-rate in a jar, watch 15 min for curdling, clumping or oil separation).
Addition order follows the W-A-L-E-S(+) rule from extension tank-mix/jar-test guides: Water conditioners → Wettable/dry → Liquid flowables → Emulsifiable concentrates → Surfactants → soluble fertiliser. This is a planning aid; a physical jar test and the product labels are the final word.
Tank-mix order — key facts
- Order rule
- W → A → L → E → S → +
- W
- Water conditioners (AMS) first
- A
- Wettable / dry (WP, WDG, DF, SP)
- L
- Liquid flowables (SC, F)
- E
- Emulsifiable concentrates (EC)
- S
- Surfactants / adjuvants
- +
- Soluble fertiliser last
- Tank fill
- half-fill before adding
- Risky pair
- wettable + EC (jar-test)
- Privacy
- Runs in your browser; nothing uploaded
The order you add products decides whether the tank works
Tank-mixing saves a pass, but the wrong sequence turns a good plan into a sprayer full of sludge. Dry products need to disperse fully in water before any oil goes in, or they ball up; emulsifiable concentrates need a settled mix before salts or fertilisers can break the emulsion. The W-A-L-E-S(+) rule encodes the safe order learned the hard way: condition the water, add the hardest-to-mix dry products, then liquids, then oils, then surfactants, and fertiliser last.
This tool takes your product list, sorts it into the correct addition order, checks every pair for formulation-level incompatibility and antagonism, and tells you when a jar test is essential. It draws the tank filling layer by layer so you can see the sequence, and turns red when an incompatible pair would curdle. Plan the mix here, jar-test, then load with confidence.
W-A-L-E-S(+) addition order
| Step | Code | Formulation class | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | W | Water conditioners | AMS, water softener, buffer |
| 2 | A | Wettable / dry (WP, WDG, DF, SP) | many fungicides, some herbicides |
| 3 | L | Liquid flowables (SC, F) | suspension-concentrate products |
| 4 | E | Emulsifiable concentrates (EC) | oil-based insecticides/herbicides |
| 5 | S | Surfactants / adjuvants | NIS, COC, MSO, stickers |
| 6 | + | Soluble fertiliser / micronutrients | foliar feed, UAN, micros |
Order after extension tank-mixing / jar-test guides and label mixing-order statements.
Known risky formulation pairs
| Pair | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Wettable / dry (WP, WDG, DF, SP) + Emulsifiable concentrates (EC) | caution | Dry product can clump if an EC's oil coats it before it disperses — add the wettable first and agitate fully. |
| Liquid flowables (SC, F) + Emulsifiable concentrates (EC) | caution | Flowable + EC can break the emulsion or thicken — slow addition and strong agitation needed. |
| Emulsifiable concentrates (EC) + Emulsifiable concentrates (EC) | caution | Two oil-based ECs together raise the curdle/cream risk — jar test the pair. |
| Wettable / dry (WP, WDG, DF, SP) + Soluble fertiliser / micronutrients | caution | Soluble fertiliser salts can salt-out a wettable powder — keep fertiliser last and test. |
| Emulsifiable concentrates (EC) + Soluble fertiliser / micronutrients | incompatible | High-salt fertiliser can break an EC emulsion and cause oil separation — do not co-mix without a jar test. |
| Water conditioners + Emulsifiable concentrates (EC) | caution | Acidifying conditioners can destabilise some emulsions — confirm with a jar test. |
Pairs not listed default to compatible in the right order; always confirm with a jar test and the labels.
How to build a safe tank mix in five steps
- 1List every product you intend to combine in the one tank.
- 2Set each product's formulation class — water conditioner, wettable/dry, liquid flowable, emulsifiable concentrate, surfactant or soluble fertiliser.
- 3Read the W-A-L-E-S addition order the tool returns and note the position of each product.
- 4Review the pair-by-pair verdicts; any caution or incompatible pair means a jar test is required.
- 5Half-fill the tank with clean water, add in order with full agitation between each, jar-test a sample, then top up and spray.
Frequently Asked Questions
What order do I add products to a spray tank?+
The widely taught rule is W-A-L-E-S(+): Water conditioners (like ammonium sulfate) first into a half-full tank, then Wettable or dry formulations (WP, WDG, DF, SP), then Liquid flowables (SC, F), then Emulsifiable concentrates (EC), then Surfactants and adjuvants, and finally soluble fertilisers and micronutrients. Adding each fully dispersed before the next prevents dry products from clumping and oils from breaking the mix. The tool sorts your products into this exact order.
Can I mix these products in one tank?+
Often yes, but it depends on the formulation types. Compatible classes (for example a wettable powder with a flowable) mix fine in the right order; risky pairs (a wettable powder with an emulsifiable concentrate, or an EC with a high-salt soluble fertiliser) can curdle, clump or separate. The tool checks every pair and returns compatible, caution or incompatible, and flags when a jar test is essential before you commit the whole tank.
What is a jar test and how do I do it?+
A jar test is a small-scale rehearsal of your tank mix. In a clear jar, add the products at their use-rate dilution in the same W-A-L-E-S order, shake gently, then watch for 15 minutes: look for curdling, clumping, gel, oil separation, sludge on the bottom or cream on top. If it stays uniform and pourable it is physically compatible; if it separates, do not load that mix. The tool flags every caution or incompatible mix as jar-test-required.
What does W-A-L-E-S stand for?+
It is a mnemonic for the addition sequence: W = Water-soluble packets / water conditioners, A = Agitate / Amine and wettable (dry) formulations, L = Liquid flowables and suspensions, E = Emulsifiable concentrates, S = Surfactants and adjuvants, with a final '+' for soluble fertilisers and micronutrients. The principle is to disperse the hardest-to-mix dry products first and add oils and surfactants last so the emulsion is not disturbed.
Why does a tank mix curdle or clump?+
Curdling and clumping happen when an incompatible pair is combined or the addition order is wrong. A common case is an oil-based emulsifiable concentrate coating an undispersed wettable powder so it balls up, or a high-salt soluble fertiliser breaking an EC's emulsion so oil separates out. Adding products in the correct order with full agitation between each, and keeping salt-heavy fertilisers out of EC mixes, prevents most of it.
Should ammonium sulfate (AMS) go in first or last?+
First. Water conditioners such as ammonium sulfate are added to the half-filled tank before any pesticide, because they tie up hard-water cations (calcium and magnesium) that would otherwise antagonise products like glyphosate. Conditioning the water first lets the rest of the mix perform as the label intends, which is why AMS sits at the front of the W-A-L-E-S order.
Where do surfactants and adjuvants go in the order?+
Near the end — after the pesticides and before any soluble fertiliser. Surfactants, crop oils (COC) and methylated seed oils (MSO) reduce surface tension and can cause excessive foaming or interfere with dispersion if added too early. Adding them late, with the tank already mostly full and agitating, lets them do their job without disrupting the other products going into suspension.
Does this replace reading the labels?+
No. Product labels carry the legal mixing instructions, compatibility statements and any prohibited combinations, and they always take priority. This calculator is a planning aid that orders your products by formulation type and flags formulation-level incompatibilities so you can plan and jar-test. Check each label for specific co-mix restrictions before you load the sprayer.
How many products can I mix at once?+
There is no fixed limit, but every product you add multiplies the compatibility risk and the agitation demand, so most agronomists keep mixes to a few well-chosen products. The tool lets you stack up to eight and shows every pairwise verdict; if several pairs flag caution or incompatible, it is usually better to split the spray into two passes than to fight a marginal tank.
What is the difference between physical and chemical incompatibility?+
Physical incompatibility is what you see in the tank — curdling, clumping, gel or separation — and a jar test catches it. Chemical incompatibility (antagonism) is invisible: the products stay mixed but one reduces another's activity, like hard-water cations or some salts cutting glyphosate efficacy. Conditioning the water, keeping antagonistic salts apart, and following the order address both; this tool focuses on the formulation-level risks behind each.
Can I mix a fungicide and an insecticide together?+
Frequently yes, which is why growers tank-mix to save a pass. A wettable-granule fungicide with an emulsifiable-concentrate insecticide is a classic combination, but it is exactly the wettable-plus-EC pairing that needs care — add the fungicide first and fully disperse it before the EC, agitate well, and jar-test. The tool will mark that pair as caution and tell you to test.