Category: General Operation

Articles that discuss general field sprayer operation and productivity factors

  • Choosing a New Tank, Burn-off Tank Mixes & Nozzle Swapping – Tips with Tom #11

    Choosing a New Tank, Burn-off Tank Mixes & Nozzle Swapping – Tips with Tom #11

    • How often do you test spray-water quality and what do you do if you’ve got hard water?
    • If you’re looking to replace your spray tank, is stainless still the way to go?
    • What about double nozzles — are they really the bee’s knees?

    The questions surrounding these aspects of spraying come up very often.

    Tom Wolf recaps some key aspects of water volume and water quality you may not have considered, plus we get that answer on when a stainless steel tank might be the right choice.

    Moving on to nozzles and overall spray operation tweaks, Wolf summarizes the reasons for moving to double (or twin-fan) nozzles in some scenarios, plus offers some insight into where your time may be best spent on improving your fill transfer set up.

  • The Pros & Cons of Aerial Application – Tips with Tom #10

    The Pros & Cons of Aerial Application – Tips with Tom #10

    Hiring an aerial applicator means fewer tracks in the crop and often a quicker spray application, but spray planes are not miraculous, says Tom Wolf. In fact, they deal with a lot of the same challenges as their well-grounded counterparts.

    In this last installment of his 10 part series, Tom answers some of the most common questions around aerial applications, including:

    • “Does the aircraft wing generate a downforce that forces spray droplets into the canopy?”
    • “Is it thus that aerial spray applicators can apply such low water volumes?”
    • “Is it worth paying extra for a custom application from above?”

    In addressing these questions, Tom corrects a few agricultural myths, provides tips for determining which method is better for your operation and emphasizes the importance of communication.

  • Measuring Spray Coverage – Tips with Tom #8

    Measuring Spray Coverage – Tips with Tom #8

    The importance of good spray coverage is emphasized in all kinds of agricultural publications, including product labels. But, according to Tom Wolf, “the labels are remarkably silent on what good coverage actually is and how you can actually measure it.”

    Tom goes on to explain that spray coverage can be defined using three main criteria: droplet density, area covered and dose administered. In order to measure and assess spray coverage, we recommend using water sensitive paper, a rigid, specially-coated, yellow paper which is stained dark blue/purple by aqueous solutions. The paper can be positioned at the targeted levels of the crop canopy with a paper clip or other handy instrument and the coverage received in the field then compared to recommended levels produced in the lab to give an indication of whether or not coverage needs to be adjusted through increasing water volumes or altering droplet size.

    Learn to integrate spray coverage evaluation into your spray operation, and how doing so can help you fine-tune applications.

  • Selecting the Right Sprayer Boom Height – Tips with Tom #5

    Selecting the Right Sprayer Boom Height – Tips with Tom #5

    What’s the right choice for nozzle fan angle? 80 degrees or 110 degrees? This question leads us to boom height. How do we select the right boom height?

    Nozzle fan angle does play a role, but so does the type of sprayer you run and, more importantly, the height that creates the best overlap pattern. In this Spray Tips, Tom Wolf explains the drift risks and realities of boom height settings on high clearance sprayers, why high-set booms can negate the benefits of certain nozzle designs and why low-drift nozzles need 100% overlap. Then, it’s off to the white board to illustrate the relationship between nozzle spacing and ideal boom height.

  • Making the Pressure Gauge your Speedometer – Tips with Tom #4

    Making the Pressure Gauge your Speedometer – Tips with Tom #4

    Good spray quality is essential in application, but all of the factors involved can make getting there quite a challenge. In reviewing magazines, you may see that publishers will bold a certain pressure (like 40 psi). They do this not because that is the pressure the nozzle must experience, but because that is the pressure at which the nozzle produces its nominal flow rate.

    So if you don’t have to spray at that bolded/highlighted number, how do you decide on your ideal pressure?

    Tom Wolf talks about the evolution of pressure ranges in nozzles and walks us through an applicator’s decision-making process. After following the tips in the video, calibrating your sprayer and driving out to the field, you should be able to maximize spray quality by simply using your pressure gauge as the speedometer.