Full explanation
Water test: a glass jar + pH paper (4–8 range) + well/tap water. If pH >7.5 or total hardness >200 ppm CaCO₃, a conditioner is mandatory. Typical Ukrainian well water in Vinnytsia and Khmelnytskyi runs pH 7.5–8.5 and Ca 150–300 ppm — critically hard. Conditioner types: (1) acidic (citric, phosphoric) — lower pH, don't chelate — LI-700, Proquest; (2) surfactant + buffer with chelators — X-Change, QuickAcid; (3) ammonium (AMS, ammonium sulfate 21-0-0-24S) — especially for glyphosate; 8.5 kg AMS per 1,000 L water drops pH to 6.5 and sequesters Ca²⁺. Prices April 2026: LI-700 UAH 120–180/L; X-Change 180–260/L; AMS 25–35/kg. Best practice: add conditioner/AMS to the tank first, mix, then the crop-protection product. Skipping this causes sulfonylurea hydrolysis within 2–4 h of mixing.