In spray application contexts, plant leaves are bent and twisted upon droplet impact, which has a significant impact on the droplet’s impact behavior and its deposition effect on the leaves. This study examines the impact behavior of droplets on flexible pepper leaves and develops a mathematical model for droplet spreading and rebound, integrating the effects of leaf bending and torsion via energy conservation and cantilever beam theory. The energy required for leaf bending and twisting due to droplet impact was estimated in accordance with Hooke’s law. The droplets attained their maximum spreading diameter 4 ms post-impact on flexible pepper leaves, with droplet retraction occurring significantly faster on flexible leaves than on rigid ones, resulting in a return to steady state in half the duration required by rigid leaves. This study aims to establish a scientific foundation for optimizing pesticide application strategies and selecting parameters for spraying equipment in pepper production.

Electrostatic droplets can enhance deposition on target leaves. To comprehensively investigate the main factors affecting droplet adhesion and splashing after electrostatic droplet impact on pepper leaves, a specialized experimental platform was developed to capture the impact behavior of charged droplets on pepper leaves. The following four variables were examined: the applied voltage of the electrode ring, droplet size, impact velocity, and the relative distance from the impact point to the leaf tip (expressed as a percentage of the total leaf length). The results showed that all four factors had significant effects on droplet adhesion. The effect sizes (partial η²) of the four factors, in descending order, were impact velocity (0.935), applied voltage (0.907), impact position (0.895), and droplet size (0.505). Compared with non-electrostatic droplets, the increase in the maximum spreading factor of charged droplets was positively correlated with droplet size, impact velocity, and applied voltage but showed no significant correlation with the relative distance to the leaf tip. The critical velocity for splashing of electrostatic droplets decreased to a certain extent but increased with higher applied voltages. The influence of the four factors on droplet splashing decreases in the following order: impact velocity (odds ratio ≫ 1), charging voltage (odds ratio = 1.246), droplet size (odds ratio = 1.023), and impact position (odds ratio < 1). Among these, impact velocity has the most significant effect on splashing behavior. This study reveals the adhesion and splashing mechanisms of electrostatic droplets on flexible pepper leaves, providing theoretical support for the design of electrostatic spraying systems and the selection of operational parameters. The findings offer a scientific basis for optimizing droplet deposition, minimizing splash losses, and improving application efficiency in precision spraying.