Airblast Nozzles – On or Off?

Adjusting the nozzles on a fishtail-style nursery sprayer.

Spray that is not directed at the target is wasted spray. Many pesticide labels specifically require the operator to restrict spray to the target canopy. Spray that escapes above the canopy is a significant source of off-target drift. Foliar applications that extend below the canopy are not efficacious and represent waste and lost productivity. Air […]

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The Droplet Size Debate

Funny how some issues never go away. For as long as I’ve been in the sprayer business, the question of ideal droplet size for pesticide application has remained a hot topic.  At its root are the basic facts that small droplets provide better coverage, making better use of water, but large droplets drift less.  So […]

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Developing Criteria for the Ideal Agricultural Spray – a Biologist’s Perspective

Originally published in: Wolf, T.M. and Downer, R.A. ILASS Americas, 11th Annual Conference on Liquid Atomization and Spray Systems, Sacramento, CA, May, 1998 Note to reader: It’s been nearly 23 years since we wrote this paper at the invitation of organizers of the Institute for Liquid Atomization and Spray Systems Conference. At the time, custom […]

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Nozzle Selection for Boom Sprayers

Sprayer nozzle Turret

Picking the correct nozzle for a spray job can be a daunting task.  There is a lot of product selection, and a lot of different features.  We try to break the process down into four steps. 1. Identify Your Needs Before making any assumptions about the right nozzle for you, review your needs and objectives. […]

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Airblast Nozzles – Reading Nozzle Tables

The author looking up nozzle rates during a spring calibration. The operator was running at 190 psi, but the catalogue only listed 180 psi and 200 psi. When span is only 20 psi, it’s fairly safe to approximate the output. When the table only lists in 50 psi increments, it is more difficult to determine the rate without testing the output. This issue usually occurs at pressures above 200 psi, and that’s very high for most horticultural operations. Consider using a lower operating pressure, if possible.

Airblast operators should know how to read a nozzle table. They are found on dealer and manufacturer websites as well as in their catalogs. Table layout varies with brand, but they all relate a nozzle’s flow rate to operating pressure. The better tables also provide the spray angle and the median droplet size (i.e. spray […]

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