All hort articles on sprayer calibration and air adjustment.
Introduction In April 2025 we visited Cedarline Greenhouses to assess their spraying methods. Our hosts invited us to examine their practices and then graciously agreed to let us share the process (and the results) so others could learn from the experience. Every greenhouse is different, but with a little imagination the process we used should […]
For those on the fly, hit play to hear a shortened, narrated version. I have far too many photos and videos of airblast sprayers blowing straight up through treetops, or downwind through the last row, during spring applications. I chose not to include any in this article to avoid people recognizing the operations. If you […]
Read More… from Adjusting Orchard Airblast Sprayers for Spring
North American product labels may or may not include carrier volume recommendations. When they do, it could be based on a two-dimensional value like the planted area, or perhaps on row length which is more appropriate for trellised crops that form contiguous hedge-like canopy walls. Volume may be tied to product concentration, which sets minimum […]
Read More… from Establishing an optimal airblast carrier volume
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 […]
Read More… from Crop-Adapted Spraying – A Multiyear Study in Highbush Blueberry (2024 Update)
The concept of Air Displacements was developed by Dr. David Manktelow, Applied Research and Technologies Ltd. What is the “right” speed to drive when spraying? Airblast sprayer operators must know their average travel speed to calculate how much pesticide and time is required to complete a spray job. Note that it’s an average, not a […]