What term best describes a product that prevents damage from spray drift during pesticide application?

An adjuvant is a substance added to a pesticide formulation to enhance its effectiveness or to modify its properties during application. When it comes to preventing damage from spray drift, adjuvants can serve multiple functions. For instance, they can adjust the physical properties of the pesticide solution, such as increasing droplet size or reducing volatility, which minimizes the potential for drift during application.

By reducing the likelihood that tiny droplets of pesticide will be carried away by wind, adjuvants help ensure that the pesticide is applied to the target area more effectively and safely. This is particularly important in agricultural or urban settings where non-target plants and aquatic systems may be at risk.

The other terms, while relevant in the context of pesticide formulation, do not specifically address the function of preventing spray drift. Inert ingredients are typically carriers or solvents that do not exert pesticide effects but help in the formulation. Active ingredients are the chemicals responsible for the pesticidal action, and a buffer is used to maintain pH levels but does not focus directly on preventing drift. Thus, the term that best fits the function described in the question is adjuvant.