Testing and Correcting Airblast Pressure

Two gauges keep each other honest – this GB (Italian-made Good Boy) is sporting a home-made assembly that cost ~$50 to assemble, including the second gauge. The silver spray paint on the black pipe prevents rust and makes it look pretty darn sharp.

The role of pressure is often underappreciated in spraying. Many airblast operators (still) don’t use rate controllers, so the only way to monitor sprayer pressure is using a single liquid-filled pressure gauge located near the pump… and it may not be trustworthy. An inaccurate pressure gauge may cause you to spray more or less product […]

Read More… from Testing and Correcting Airblast Pressure

Spray and Soil Fumigant Buffer Zones in Canada

Buffer zones or No-Spray zones physically separate the end of the spray swath for the nearest downwind sensitive area.

Spray Buffer Zones Spray buffer zones are no-spray areas required at the time of application between the area being treated and the closest downwind edge of a sensitive terrestrial or aquatic habitat. Spray buffer zones reduce the amount of spray drift that enters downwind, non-target areas. Sensitive Terrestrial Habitats Sensitive terrestrial habitats can include hedgerows, […]

Read More… from Spray and Soil Fumigant Buffer Zones in Canada

Three manageable factors that affect spray drift

It’s not only field sprayers that drift. Photo Credit – G. Amos and D. Zamora, Washington State.

In 2014 one of our OMAFRA summer students designed a short-and-gritty demonstration using a backpack sprayer, a variable-speed fan and some water-sensitive paper positioned downwind at 1.5 metre intervals. The intent was to illustrate how sprayer operators could reduce the potential for off-target drift by recognizing and accounting for three factors: Apparent wind speed (i.e. […]

Read More… from Three manageable factors that affect spray drift

Spraying Ginseng with Arag Microjets

Classic Arag microjet nozzles.

In June 2013 we ran a ginseng spraying workshop and we learned as much as the growers did. Ginseng is notoriously difficult to spray: It is highly susceptible to pathogens given the high humidity and still conditions generally found under the shade structure. It forms a solid ceiling of leaves that resist spray penetrating to […]

Read More… from Spraying Ginseng with Arag Microjets

How much horsepower do I need?

How much horsepower (HP) do you need (really) when pairing a tractor and a towed sprayer or any other PTO powered implement? This important question should be asked BEFORE purchasing any towed implement. Surprisingly, there’s not much guidance out there, so you might hear answers like: Whatever my tractor has must be enough… whatever that […]

Read More… from How much horsepower do I need?