[Apple-Crop] sprayer calibration debate

Thu Mar 2 11:47:08 EST 2017

Hal, 

Question. As an enclosed-cabbed tractor ages, will the seal around the doors wear out, or better yet, how do you verify the enclosed cab is providing the protection you are after?  That might make an argument for wearing the respirator in the cab, at some point during the life of the tractor.  

Regarding the rest of calibration of the calibration discussion, you should be able to separate tree-row volume from your calculations which use row width, travel speed and gallons-per minute, to establish a gallon per acre application rate.  All the growers we work with have variability in their row spacing.  Three things we do to address this include minor adjustments to travel speed, flipping over/turning on or off spray nozzles, and use of spray control systems.  So, lots of ways to skin that cat, but we finish and think we have it set up correctly, we verify by hanging those water/oil-sensitive cards in the trees and see if we are satisfied with the coverage. 

I would never trust a site line on a spray tank and it is easy to put more water in a tank than what a tank is labeled to hold. Think about any water bottle, the 30 fl. oz. mark is about an inch below the top of the bottle.  As with a sprayer, if you fill it all the way up, there will be more water in it, than what it is labeled to hold.  A good way to check is to calculate the GPM flow of the hose you use to fill your sprayer with, then just set a timer to accurately fill your tank.  This will help you be sure you are putting the correct amount of water in the tank, before you run it out through your control block. 

Another helpful website is http://sprayers101.com/airblast101/

Several years ago we had some money from EPA to go calibrate sprayers.  We worked on dozens of spray scenarios and found applicators were applying 52% more water, on average, than what they were reporting.  The number of broken nozzles, missing screens, etc. was amazing.  So at the very least, regardless of what method you use, calibration helps address some of the basic maintenance needs of a sprayer, which is helpful in preventing breakdowns during that first primary scab infection at green tip. 

Thanks,

Peter

=============================

Peter Werts

Specialty Crops Project Manager

IPM Institute of North America, Inc.

211 South Paterson St. 

Suite #380 

Madison WI 53703

Office: 608 232-1410

Cell: 612 518-0319

Fax: 608 232-1440

pwerts at ipminstitute.org <mailto:pwerts at ipminstitute.org> 

www.ipminstitute.org <http://www.ipminstitute.org/> 

From: apple-crop [mailto:apple-crop-bounces at virtualorchard.com] On Behalf Of Con.Traas
Sent: Thursday, March 2, 2017 9:46 AM
To: 'Apple-Crop discussion list' <apple-crop at virtualorchard.com>
Subject: Re: [Apple-Crop] sprayer calibration debate

Hello Hal,

I don’t think an additional respirator should be needed. After all, the respirator in the tractor cab is the same design (only larger) than the one on the oral one.

Regarding the theoretical calibration of sprayers, whenever an inspector tells me they to do it with water, and to apply that result to a water/chemical mixture I have a go at them. Only a regulator who never applied products with different viscosities (due to temperature or different mixtures) would pretend you can pre-calibrate with more than a 90% accuracy. The fact is the same sprayer with different products in it, or water of different temperatures, will put our at different rates.

Con (Cornelius) Traas

Room SR2-009,

Department of Biological Sciences,

University of Limerick.

Ph: 061-202905

M: 086-6091998

T: @theapplefarmer

From: apple-crop [mailto:apple-crop-bounces at virtualorchard.com] On Behalf Of Hal Wentzel
Sent: 02 March 2017 15:24
To: Apple-Crop discussion list
Subject: Re: [Apple-Crop] sprayer calibration debate

Since I upgraded my tractor this winter, I plan on recalibration and this is the method I plan to use.  Adjust the nozzles and the tractor speed until I feel I get adequate coverage of the trees.  I will then fill my tank with 50 gallons of water, and spray it over a prescribed route.  When the tank is empty, I calculate the acres sprayed.  From that I can determine the number of gallons per acre.  To that number of gallons, I will add the chemical required per acre.  Since we are high density, well pruned, I multiply by .7 (captan:  6# x .7= 4.2 #).  If I travel the same route, I will get the required spray per acre.  

A different question:  my new tractor has an enclosed cab (no more monkey suit), with an activated charcoal filter.  What is the opinion on the necessity of also wearing a respirator.  EPA would say yes, but are they too cautious.

Hal Wentzel 

Pleasant View Orchard 

Niagara, Wi

715-927-2050

On Thu, Mar 2, 2017 at 8:16 AM John Bruguiere <John at dickiebros.com <mailto:John at dickiebros.com> > wrote:

Hello all, need some healthy practical advice on sprayer calibration.  Specifically air blast sprayers.  For decades we have measured a block of trees to determine acreage, sprayed out tank and determined gallons per acre based on what area was covered in tank. For example trees planted at 8 x 18 spacing gave us 300 trees to acre, we sprayed out tank, counted trees and determined that our sprayer puts out 2.5 acres per tank.  we used this  to determine amount of material to put in the tank etc. All the calibration formulas , I have seen require tree row volume(height x row spacing) to be part of equation.  I have 4-5 different spacings in 100 acres of orchard which makes it more of a headache to constantly figure gallons per acre and spray materials needed in each different block(thus the reason we simply measured trees per acre). I know my speed , i know my gallons per minute but can't find an equation that converts this to gallons per acre without tree row volume.

need a simple but effective solution...any takers?

in Virginia we have plums in full bloom, fantasia and red gold nectarines in pink and some open blooms, 21 degrees forecasted on friday and saturday night.

God Bless,

John Bruguiere

Dickie Bros. Orchard

On 1/30/2017 6:36 PM, Arthur Kelly wrote:

I agree Mo.  We try and remove trees every year and plant every year.  I did use the word can to hedge the productive life of a block.

Sent from my iPhone

On Jan 30, 2017, at 5:48 PM, maurice tougas <appleman.maurice at gmail.com <mailto:appleman.maurice at gmail.com> > wrote:

Art 

I agree that it's great to be out pruning. I disagree that you should expect a longer productive life with high density systems. My goal here is to be looking at replanting when the orchard reaches twenty years or so. New varieties, strains of varieties and improved planting system encourage 5% renewal in my opinion. 

My best to you

Mo Tougas

On Mon, Jan 30, 2017 at 1:27 PM, George Greene <cortland9 at icloud.com <mailto:cortland9 at icloud.com> > wrote:

Art: 

Your comment makes sense to me.  Right now I have a cold and I fell on the ice on Dec. 29th and I am still suffering.  Pt may help but it may take a while.

I suppose that you are enjoying the warmer weather.

Be well, George

On Jan 30, 2017, at 12:43 PM, kellyorchards <kellyorchards at gmail.com <mailto:kellyorchards at gmail.com> > wrote:

Ruminations after a morning pruning.  The weather is ideal.  The temps are in the high 20's, the wind is light and the sun is shining.  Weather like this is why we live here.  Permanent limbs ultimately and inevitably get too large.  This is why high density systems can have a longer productive life than less dense orchards.

Art Kelly
Kelly Orchards
Acton, Maine

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Maurice Tougas
Tougas Family Farm
Northborough,MA 01532
508-450-0844

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Hal Wentzel

Pleasant View Orchard

W6050 Chapman Road

Niagara, WI  54151

715-927-2050

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