Sprayers101 Archive
Search our archive of expert-written, data-driven analysis of spraying techniques, equipment, strategies, and more.
Operator Safety: How to Avoid Pesticide Hazards
A Veteran Applicator’s Questions about Pesticide Handling Time and again, after years of working with dozens of different chemicals, I would wonder to myself “How dangerous…
Exploding Sprayer Myths (ep.2): Canopy Penetration
This is the second of a series of short, educational and irreverent videos made with Real Agriculture to bring a little levity to sprayer…
Exploding Sprayer Myths (ep.1): Rate Controllers
This is the first of a series of short, educational and irreverent videos made with Real Agriculture to bring a little levity to sprayer…
Experimental Hops Sprayer
First, a warning… In 2013, when this sprayer was constructed, Ontario’s hops acreage was expanding for the first time in many years. While there…
Spraywise – Broadacre Application Handbook
I haven’t written a book-report since high school, but I was recently sent a copy of Dr. Jorg Kitt’s “Spraywise – Broadacre Application Handbook” and…
A.I. Pressure – Parody
Sung to the tune of “Under Pressure” by Queen Pressure!Pushing down on sprayHeading down the boom(movin’ so far) Under pressureIt brings the droplets downSplits…
Drift in the Wind – Parody
Sung to the tune of “Dust in the Wind” by Kansas I close my eyes, only for a moment, and the spray is gone…
Biopesticides: Holy Grail or Giant Pain?
Biopesticides are a rapidly growing segment in horticultural pest control. While they are often billed as green “miracle cures”, applicators should be aware that…
A New Way to Purchase Sprayers
I always await a trade show with excitement. Everyone’s going to be there, showing their latest and greatest. You see old friends. And of…
OMAFA Spray Drift Videos
CropLife Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs partnered in 2012 to develop two educational videos on pesticide application best…
Spray Quality and Volume Matrix
We often write about how valuable water sensitive paper can be to visualize and assess the coverage we’re getting from a specific application method. A…
The 2015 in Review: 8 Points Evaluation of Your Spray Program – Tips with Tom #12
During post-harvest down-time, it’s important to take a much needed breather.Then, before you know it’ll be time to start the shop projects and equipment…
Choosing a New Tank, Burn-off Tank Mixes & Nozzle Swapping – Tips with Tom #11
How often do you test spray-water quality and what do you do if you’ve got hard water? If you’re looking to replace your spray…
The Pros & Cons of Aerial Application – Tips with Tom #10
Hiring an aerial applicator means fewer tracks in the crop and often a quicker spray application, but spray planes are not miraculous, says Tom…
Measuring Spray Coverage – Tips with Tom #8
The importance of good spray coverage is emphasized in all kinds of agricultural publications, including product labels. But, according to Tom Wolf, “the labels…
Spray Quality – Tips with Tom #7
One of the greatest threats to lost return and non-target plant damage in spraying is drift. Spray applicators have to be conscious of all…
7 Steps to Total Sprayer Cleanout – Tips with Tom #6
The first question during the spray season is likely, “what kills this weed spectrum? The second might just be, “How do I clean our…
Selecting the Right Sprayer Boom Height – Tips with Tom #5
What’s the right choice for nozzle fan angle? 80 degrees or 110 degrees? This question leads us to boom height. How do we select…
Making the Pressure Gauge your Speedometer – Tips with Tom #4
Good spray quality is essential in application, but all of the factors involved can make getting there quite a challenge. In reviewing magazines, you…
Choosing Nozzles for Diverse Applications – Tips with Tom #3
After running through your sprayer’s routine maintenance, it’s time to assess the suitability of its nozzles for upcoming applications, and, let’s face it, that…
Is it OK to Spray in the Early Morning? – Tips with Tom #2
It’s early morning on a bright, clear day. The sun is just starting to climb. There’s a heavy dew on the crop. Should you…
7 Tips for Purchasing a New Sprayer – Tips with Tom #1
What’s the only surefire way to know whether or not the sprayer is applying product at the rate you’ve specified? Can you let the…
Spray Coverage in Potato
In June, 2014, 30 growers attended a spray coverage demonstration in a potato field in Alliston, Ontario. Our goal was to explore three questions: This…
50 Ways to Get Good Coverage – Parody
50 Ways To Get Good Coverage Sung to the tune of “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” by Paul Simon. The problem is all…
Novel Ginseng Boom Design
In 2013 we ran a sprayer coverage demonstration in a ginseng garden in Norfolk County, Ontario. The goal was to encourage growers to reconsider their…