Which of the following factors is NOT one of the three key factors affecting pesticide drift?

The correct answer is that "applicator attitude" is not one of the three key factors affecting pesticide drift. Pesticide drift primarily involves physical factors and operational practices that influence the behavior of pesticides in the environment.

Weather conditions, including wind speed and direction, significantly impact how and where pesticides move once they are applied. Similarly, temperature inversion, a meteorological phenomenon where a layer of warm air traps cooler air at the surface, can exacerbate drift by keeping pesticides suspended in the air longer and allowing them to move further from the target application site.

Equipment configuration and operation play a crucial role as well. The design and settings of application equipment influence droplet size and spray pattern, which can affect the likelihood of drift.

In contrast, "applicator attitude" refers more to the mindset and behavior of the person applying the pesticides rather than a tangible, measurable factor that directly influences the physical movement of the pesticides. While an applicator’s attitude can affect the carefulness of the application process, it does not directly cause drift in the way that weather conditions or equipment configurations do.