Sprayer loading and the jar test

Adding pouches to the basket. Photo Credit – M. Lanthier, British Columbia.

This article was co-written with Mike Cowbrough, OMAFRA Weed Management Specialist – Field Crops The time and attention spent during sprayer loading is a worthy investment. It ensures that the products in the tank perform as intended and reduces the chance of physical incompatibilities. The label Pesticide labels are always the first point of reference. […]

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Airblast Agitation and Filling

Note the two paddles set at 90° to one another on the mechanical agitation shaft in this very cool “cutaway” Turbomist sprayer.

Agricultural products are formulated to be as emulsifiable as possible, but many do not mix well in water. They contain elements that do not dissolve (e.g. wettable powders), or they may be petroleum distillates (e.g. emulsifiable concentrates). Other products are heavier than water and form precipitates (e.g. fertilizers and powdered metals like copper). Consequently, good […]

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Storing Pesticide Mix Overnight

JD 4940

Not being able to finish a tank due to weather or any other reason happens to just about everyone. Is it OK to simply leave the sprayer as is, and resume spraying later after some agitation? In many cases, the answer is yes. Most pesticide mixtures are stable in short term storage. On resuming spraying, an agitation […]

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Water Quality and Spray Application

Water is one of the main inputs into a spray operation. The amount of water applied per acre is closely related to spray coverage and pesticide performance. But water quality – a term encompassing its cleanliness and chemical composition – is also critical to the performance of pesticides. Ensuring good performance means testing water and […]

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