Application Decisions for the New Millennium?

1
Application Decisions for the New Millennium?

• Robert E. Wolf
• Extension Specialist Agrichemical Technology
• Biological and Agricultural Engineering Dept.

2
Changes in the Application Industry!

• Historically inefficient process
• Increased cost per acre for crop protection
• Rates are changing (lt an ounce/acre)
• More pest specific products (foliar)
• Biotechnology and GMOs Issues????
• More sophisticated equipment (electronics)
• Environmental impact (water and air quality)
• Drift!!!!!!!
• Variable rates
• Site-specific

3
R-U Ready Soybean Explosion
1996-1 Million
199820-30 Million

• Acreage of roundup ready ready (genetically
  modified) soybeans under cultivation in the
  United States.

19979 Million
199935 Million
4
Application Equipment

• Two basic types of application systems
• Liquid (sprayers)
• Granular

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Equipment cost today?

• How much do these machines cost?

150,000 - 200,000
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Equipment cost today?

• How much does this machine cost?

250,000 - 300,000
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Equipment cost today?

• How much do these machines cost?

15,000 - 30,000
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What are the trends today! Who should spray?
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Decisions about who sprays

• Time/busy?
• Tractor available?
• Knowledgeable of crop protection products?
• Pesticide safety concerns?
• Pros and cons for custom application vs.
  self-application?
• Technically up to date on sprayers and the proper
  application techniques?

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Options to consider on a sprayer

• How many acres to spray/acres per hour?
• What tank capacity and type of tank material?
• Type and size of pump?
• What boom width and style?
• Gallons per acre desired?
• Adjustable or fixed axle?
• Tire style-radial or bias?
• Boom plumbing options (spacing, nozzle bodies)?
• Boom controllerhow many sections?
• Controller options-with or without radar?
• Foam marker, rinse system, batch meter, chemical
  inductor, joy stick controller?
• Water source, tender system and driver?

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Sprayer Cost Options

• Buy the sprayer outright
• Leasing programs
• 3,000 6,000
• 3-5 years, low interest
• New or modern system
• Partnership purchases(neighbors)
• Commercial sprayers
• Scheduling critical

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Cost per acre summary table
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Liquid systems

• What are the considerations?
• Should you upgrade or start new?

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Sprayer Components

• Tanks (contamination issues)
• Pump, Strainers, Agitation
• Pressure gauge
• Hoses, Flow control assemblies
• Electronics monitors-computers- controllers
  (GPS/GIS)
• Distribution system
• Nozzles!!!!!!!!!

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Types of Pumps

• Roller Pump
• Centrifugal Pump
• Diaphragm Pump
• Piston Pump
• Peristaltic Pump (Squeeze or hose pump chemical
  injection)

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Plumbing Diagram
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Plumbing Diagram
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Plumbing Diagram
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What about the cost of the nozzle?
2.00 - 3.00, 5.00
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Nozzle Types

• Flat Spray Tips
• Extended Range Flat-fan
• Drift Reduction Flat-fan
• Turbo Flood Flat-fan
• Turbo Flat-fan
• AI Flat-fan
• TurboDrop

• Cone Spray Tips
• Raindrop

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Spray Characteristics are Important to Understand
Demonstrates Turbo Flat vs TurboDrop-5 MPH Wind
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Selecting the proper nozzle

• Legal issues!!
• Following the label!

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Misapplication

• Without proper attention to the nozzle, you may
  end up with a
• Misapplication

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Application is Important

• Many complaints to chemical company
  representatives involve improper application of
  chemicals.
• Improper mixing procedures
• Travel speed errors
• Uniformity of coverage
• Incorrect quantities added to the tank
• Particle drift
• Selection and maintenance of nozzles

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Misapplication Facts
Farmland Insurance
Based on insurance claim payouts!
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Nozzles are important because

• Control the amount GPA.
• Determine uniformity of application.
• Affects the coverage.
• Influences the drift potential.

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1. Control the Amount applied

• Nozzle Flow Rate is affected by
• Orifice size
• Pressure
• Solution characteristics

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Nomenclature
Extended Range
Trade Name
(S,H,P,K,SS)
Stainless Steel Insert Orifice
VisiFlo Color Coding
Fan angle and flow rate-orifice size
Rated Pressure
40 psi for most nozzle types 10 psi for turbo
flood nozzles
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Typical nozzle numbering system
Extended-range flat-fan XR 11004 XR Extended-range
Extended-range flat-fan XR 11004 110 110 degree fan angle
Extended-range flat-fan XR 11004 04 0.4 GPM _at_ 40 psi
Even flat-fan (Band applications) 8002E E Even spray pattern
Even flat-fan (Band applications) 8002E 80 80 degree fan angle
Even flat-fan (Band applications) 8002E 02 0.2 GPM _at_ 40 psi
Turbo flood - (small capacity) TF- 4 TF Turbo flood
Turbo flood - (small capacity) TF- 4 4 .4 GPM _at_ 10 psi
Turbo flood (Floater capacity) QCTF - 40 QCTF Quick attach turbo flood
Turbo flood (Floater capacity) QCTF - 40 40 4.0 GPM _at_ 10 psi
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Nozzle Selection Chart
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Nozzle Selection Chart Turbo Flood
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MATERIALS AND WEAR
Percent increase in nozzle flow rate Flat-fan
spray nozzles after 40 hour test
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2. Set up for Uniformity

• Goal is to put the material on evenly from
  nozzle to nozzle, end of boom to end of boom, and
  across the entire field.
• 20-inch spacing requires 17-19 above target for
  50-60 overlap.

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3. Will determine coverage

• Need knowledge of the product being used.
• Systemic
• Contact
• What is the target?
• Soil
• grass
• broadleaf (smooth, hairy, waxy)

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4. Will affect drift

• Movement of spray particles off-target.
• Creating smaller spray drops will result in
  increased drift.
• Is it Coverage vs Drift?
• What is the answer?

64 Million Question?
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Calibration/Nozzle Selection

• What is the first step?
• Use label to select the
• application volume
• product rate
• Choose an appropriate travel speed
• Effective width of application
• nozzle spacing
• Calculate GPM Flow rate per nozzle
• Select the correct size of nozzle!

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Safety Concerns
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Calculations
!_at_!
GPA
5940
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Calculations
Ok, now I remember!
GPA
5940
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Nozzle size - Variables

• Nozzle flow rate (GPM)
• Ground speed (MPH)
• Effective sprayed width (W)
• Application rate (GPA)

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Application Rate Equation
Equation 1

• Calculates for application rate
• Represents total amount applied for an acre

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Flow Rate Equation
Equation 2

• Calculates for amount of flow from one nozzle
• Represents the size of nozzle to put on the
  sprayer

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Where

• GPA ______________________
• GPM ______________________
• MPH ______________________
• W ______________________
• 5940 a constant to convert gallons per
  minute, miles per hour, and inches to gallons per
  acre

gallons per acre
gallons per minute
miles per hour
nozzle spacing - inches
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Variables
1. Nozzle Flow Rate - Gallons Per Minute (GPM)
To double the nozzle output, the pressure must
increase times
4
2. Ground speed - Miles Per Hour (MPH)
1/2
Doubling the ground speed reduces GPA rate by___

3. Effective Sprayed Width (W) (Nozzle spacing,
band width, number of nozzles on drop)
Doubling the effective sprayed width per nozzle
decreases the application rate by .
1/2
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Electronics/Rate Controllers

• How does your system work when speed changes?
• Is it pressure based?
• What is the effect of going slower?
• What is the effect of going faster?

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GPM Example

• You want to broadcast a foliar herbicide at 12
  GPA traveling 12 MPH using extended range
  flat-fan nozzles on 20-inch spacing.
• Use equation to calculate for flow rate?

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GPA Example Solution
GPM?
GPA?
MPH?
W?
GPM?
GPA12
MPH12
W20
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GPM Example Solution
.48
Answer
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Selecting the proper nozzle.
Page 51 TeeJet Catalog
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Selecting the proper nozzle.

• Calculate GPM (formula)
• Look under Capacity of 1 nozzle in GPM column
• Match to pressure-psi
• Choose the size needed
• Operate at given pressure and speed used in
  formula to achieve GPA

.48
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Electronics/Rate Controllers
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MEASURE SPEED
(1 MPH 88 Feet traveled in 60 seconds)
Measure the ground speed in an area similar to
the conditions of the area to be sprayed!
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Spray Solution Characteristics

• A. Surface Tension
• B. Density
• C. Viscosity

Effects droplet size, not flow

• Weight/unit volume
• density - flow rate decreases

Resistance to flow
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Spraying Solutions other that water28
CONVERSION see page 124, SS
28 _______ lbs/gal Specific Gravity Weight
of 28/gal divided by weight of water/gal

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28 CONVERSION
10.65
28 _______ lbs/gal Specific Gravity Weight
of 28/gal divided by weight of water/gal
10.65
1.28

8.34
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Conversion factor square root of specific
gravity of 28
x
57
Conversion factor square root of specific
gravity of 28
1.13
x
1.13