Welcome to Sprayers 101
Sprayers 101 is a non-profit resource describing best practices in safe, efficient and effective agricultural spraying. The site is based in Canada with content freely contributed by international authors. Browse our library of articles, videos, presentations, apps, calculators, tables and ePubs.
Our most recent articles:
-
Insecticidal Management of Rangeland Grasshoppers using RPAS
This article summarizes a 2022 paper that can be downloaded here. Grasshoppers are an integral part of rangeland ecosystems, but population outbreaks can cause significant damage to adjacent crops and forage. For example, cattle consume about 1.5-2.5% of their body weight in forage per day, so pound for pound, a grasshopper will eat 12-20 times…
-
Crop-Adapted Spraying – A Multiyear Study in Highbush Blueberry (2023 Update)
This case study is taking place on a 15 acre highbush blueberry operation in southern Ontario. In 2016, considerable pressure from spotted-wing drosophila (SWD) prompted the growers to make changes to their crop management practices and their spray program. They employed a three-pronged approach to improving crop protection: We have been tracking pesticide use, water…
-
The State of Drone Spraying in Canadian Agriculture (2023)
In Canada, the use of drones for pesticide application, otherwise known as Remote Piloted Aerial Systems (RPAS), is regulated by two Federal Departments: Transport Canada establishes regulations for safe operation and Health Canada for the registration and conditions of use of pest control products. Drones are already used in Canadian agriculture for crop surveillance and…
You might also like:
-
How Fast Should I Drive My Sprayer?
It seems simple: The faster you drive the sprayer, the more area you cover. This makes higher travel speeds a seductive method for improving productivity. Sprayer manufacturers knew this 25 years ago when pull-type sprayers first received bigger, suspended outrigger wheels. Since then they’ve delivered more powerful engines, better hydraulic motors, smoother suspension and cruise…
-
Selecting the Right Water Volume
Low water volumes can mean less effort to apply pesticides. But there is a limit to how low water volumes can go before problems appear. To understand the reasons why, and help applicators use the right volume for a given situation, we briefly outline what happens to a spray cloud as it reaches the crop canopy. Basic Principles…
-
Four Rules of Nozzle Selection
Nozzle choice can be overwhelming due to the large selection available from many suppliers. But nozzles are the most important part of the sprayer, being responsible for metering the liquid, atomizing it into droplets, and distributing it across the boom. Review this list for what’s available, then follow these general recommendations. 1. Choose a Coarse…
