Sprayers101 Archive
Search our archive of expert-written, data-driven analysis of spraying techniques, equipment, strategies, and more.
Airblast Calibration – Clearing up Confusion
“Sprayer calibration is an important part of any crop protection program.” Everyone says so, so it must be important. But what exactly are they…
Sprayer Math for Banded Applications
Where crops are planted in rows, growers can save on chemical costs and reduce potentially wasted spray by performing banded applications. A banded application…
Cleaning an airblast sprayer
Next to sprayer math, cleaning the sprayer is one of the more distasteful aspects of airblast spraying. It’s time-consuming, you never really know when…
Validate Airblast Output – Nozzle Calibration
Sprayer math is important. It ensures the operator applies the correct product rate and has enough to complete the job. But, it assumes the…
Assessing Airblast Coverage
This article describes a method for assessing airblast sprayer coverage based on a protocol developed by Dr. David Manktelow (Applied Research and Technologies Ltd.,…
What do European Sprayers Bring to the North American Market?
We discuss what sets the European sprayer designs apart, with examples of overall dimensions, engine and wheel sizes, as well as tanks, booms, plumbing…
Remove and scrub your filters – Even when you use Dawn
This article was co-developed by Mike Cowbrough, OMAFRA Weed Management Specialist in Field Crops Why scrub filters? Why do we ask you to manually…
Airblast Agitation and Solubags
Agricultural products are formulated to be as emulsifiable as possible, but many do not mix well in water. They contain elements that do not…
Exploding Sprayer Myths (ep.4): Speed Spraying
With due respect to Mickey and Mr. Lucas, and the massive hype surrounding Star Wars Episode VII, we felt we should jump on the…
Exploding Sprayer Myths (ep.12): The Buffer Zone
In this episode of Exploding Sprayer Myths we reduce a complicated best practice to black and white… literally. Watch as Jason and Tom get…
Re-imagining of the Axial Airblast Fan
On a trip to Mildura, Victoria I met Matthew McWilliams, Director at Interlink Sprayers. His passion for innovation was exciting. He described Interlink’s history…
Productivity Calculator
Want to figure out how your sprayer configuration affects your productivity? Try out that tells you acres per hour, the amount of productivity lost…
If I had a Million Dollars – Parody
If I had a Million Dollars Sung to the Tune of “If I had a Million Dollars” by The Barenaked Ladies If I…
Exploding Sprayer Myths (ep.11): Drift
This video won the Gold 2019 Canadian Farm Writers Federation’s Jack McPherson Award for Electronic Media. This award is for the best video, news…
Rainfastness of Insecticides and Fungicides on Fruit
This article was co-authored by Kristy Grigg-McGuffin, OMAFA Horticulture IPM Specialist In view of the frequent heavy rains in many regions this season, understanding…
Pesticide Drift and Communication
When it comes to information about mitigating pesticide drift, it’s plentiful and easily accessed. I have an archive of >30 articles written by Ontario…
What’s with dew? – Tips with Tom #9
When warm air is cooled, it loses some of its moisture-holding capabilities. This change often occurs at night, when plants (and other objects) cool.…
Airblast Nozzles – Nozzle Bodies
Excepting air shear and centrifugal style nozzles, most airblast sprayers employ nozzle bodies designed to except hydraulic nozzles distributed evenly along the booms. Nozzle…
Continuous rinsing for airblast sprayers
Why Rinse? Airblast sprayers are not rinsed as frequently or as diligently as field sprayers. This is primarily because they are not used to…
Air Orientation for Wrap-Around Sprayers
One of the pleasures of working in agricultural extension is when you’re able to help a grower solve a problem. This was one of…
ExactApply: How to add “Section Flow %” Module to Run Screen
The John Deere ExactApply system has a pulsing feature, more commonly known as “Pulse Width Modulation” (PWM). From the operator’s perspective, it’s important to…
The Capstan EVO: PWM for the masses
Capstan Ag brought Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) to spraying in the mid 1990s. Over the past 20 years, it has become commonplace on Case…
Exploding Sprayer Myths (ep.10): Airblast Coverage
Here in Episode 10 of Exploding Sprayer Myths we’ve coaxed @Nozzle_Guy back into the orchard. This is part two of a two-part mini series…
The Challenges of Spraying by Drone
Spray application by drone is here. It’s common practice in South East Asia, with a very significant proportion of ag areas now treated that…
New Use for Bourgault 1460 Field Sprayer
This week I spoke with Gerry Bell, a producer from near Gravelbourg in southern Saskatchewan (a beautiful town with a historic downtown, church and…