Cleaning Field Sprayers to Avoid Crop Injury

1. Cleaning Field Sprayers to Avoid Crop Injury Is it drift or is it a contaminated sprayer?

2. Sprayer contamination could result in: • Symptoms that appear drift-like • Crop loss • Environmental pollution • Reduced effectiveness of the tank mix • Fines • Lawsuits • Loss of certification • Loss of income

3. Sources of Contamination of Spray Equipment: • Improper or inadequate cleanout • Redissolved residues • Contamination from using remix water • Poly fiber tanks, old hoses • Low-rate actives with highly active molecules • Presence of tank mix partners • Mini-bulk contamination - repackaging

4. Ways to reduce or avoid contamination: • Use pesticide resistant materials • stainless steel tanks • Removing enough liquid during the cleanout process • ‘Follow’ proper cleanout procedures • label information if provided • Extension publications • Adopting engineering controls • tank rinsing nozzles • Use special cleaners • Use a dedicated sprayer

5. Steps for cleanout: • Work in a safe area (environment and people). • Hose down inside of tank • Fill tank have full and flush out through the nozzles. • Repeat and include a proper cleaning agent. • Flush final time with clean water.

6. Steps for cleanout: • Spray and mix/load equipment should be thoroughly rinsed with clean water and the rinsate applied to field (according to label) prior to the cleaning process. • Three primary mechanisms: • Dilution, deactivation, and extraction • Select cleaning agents • Commonly use ammonia (not chlorine bleach) • Commercial tank cleaning agents or common household detergents (liquid or dry)

7. General cleaning solutions:

8. Web sites with clean-out information: • http://entweb.clemson.edu/pesticid/saftyed/dptclean.htm • http://www.weeds.iastate.edu/reference/pat30.pdf • http://muextension.missouri.edu/xplor/agguides/crops/g04852.htm • http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/ageng2/mf1089.pdf Table 1