Cleaning, flushing, triple-rinsing… whatever you call it, sprayer sanitation is a time-consuming and distasteful task. Methods vary, but they generally span from the classic triple rinse (30-45 minutes) to a full tear-down and decontamination (many hours and likely an overnight soak). The operator decides how much time and effort to invest depending on the chemistry they’ve […]
In 1977, David Shelton and Kenneth Von Bargen (University of Nebraska) published an article called “10-1977 CC279 Gear Up – Throttle Down”. It described the merits of reducing tractor rpm’s for trailed implements that didn’t need 540 rpm to operate. In 2001 (republished in 2009), Robert Grisso (Extension Engineer with Virginia Cooperative Extension) described the […]
Air-assisted boom sprayers have been around since the 80s (likely longer). Common in Europe, they have demonstrated value in mitigating drift and improving canopy penetration. In North America, they are used by a few vegetable and berry growers, but are exceedingly rare among field croppers. There are a few possible reasons for this. Air-assist is […]
In early July 2016, a farm supplier contacted us on behalf of a client with a history of disease control issues in his field pepper operation. He wanted us to calibrate their sprayer and diagnose spray coverage to see if there was room for improvement. Improved coverage doesn’t necessarily mean improved efficacy, but generally it’s a […]
Read More… from Drop Hoses can Improve Coverage in Field Peppers
Article co-written with Jennifer Llewellyn, former OMAFRA Nursery Crops Specialist. Nursery growers apply pesticides to a diverse range of plant species. In a perfect world, sprayer operators would adjust their sprayer set-up to match each crop, but this is rarely done because of time constraints and a lack of guidance. Adjustments in product rate and spray distribution […]
Read More… from Stop and Spray the Roses – More Efficiently!