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Unraveling the Mysteries

Unraveling the Mysteries. Of Sprayer Calibration. Sprayer Calibration. Herbicides powerful tools Accurate application essential Many modern herbicides applied at low rates Ounces of product per acre Liquid or dry weight Under- or over-application problematic Poor weed control

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Unraveling the Mysteries

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  1. Unraveling the Mysteries Of Sprayer Calibration

  2. Sprayer Calibration • Herbicides powerful tools • Accurate application essential • Many modern herbicides applied at low rates • Ounces of product per acre • Liquid or dry weight • Under- or over-application problematic • Poor weed control • Excessive collateral damage • Proper sprayer calibration key to applying an appropriate dose

  3. Sprayer Calibration • Factors that influence sprayer output: • Nozzle flow rate: • Orifice size of nozzle • Pressure • Ground speed • All other things remaining constant, output decreases as ground speed increases • Effective spray width • Boom width • Number of nozzles

  4. Sprayer Calibration • Calibration methods: • Spray known area with water • Determine amount water used • Calculate rate per acre • Stationary method with water • Determine output of each nozzle • Should be within 5% of one another • Replace worn nozzles!!! • Calculate average nozzle output/minute • Measure boom width • Determine ground speed • Calculate rate per acre • Either of these will provide the sprayer output • Still need to calculate how many acres will be covered by a tank • And how much herbicide to add for an appropriate rate

  5. Internet Option • www.Teejet.com • Calculator • Calibration calculator • Application rate • GPM per nozzle • MPH of sprayer • Nozzle spacing

  6. Sprayer Calibration • Backpack Sprayer mathless calibration (BASF): • Measure 18.5 by 18.5 ft (1/128th acre; 1 fl oz = 1/128th gallon) • Carefully spray and measure time taken to cover area in seconds • Spray into a calibrated bucket for that number of seconds and measure the volume in oz • The number of oz collected equals the gallons per acre sprayer output • Still must determine area covered by one tank to determine how much herbicide to add to sprayer

  7. Sprayer Calibration • Dimensional analysis: • Multiplication of knowns with unity values • Unity values = 1 • 12 inches per foot • 5,280 feet per mile • 43,560 square feet per acre • 128 fluid ounces per gallon • 3,756 milliliters per gallon • Add unity values to create a series of factors with associated “units” such that all units cancel out during multiplication leaving only the units desired

  8. Dimensional Analysis • Example: • A car travels 55 feet per second; • How fast is it traveling in miles per hour?

  9. Dimensional Analysis • Example: • A car travels 55 feet per second; • How fast is it traveling in miles per hour? Known value: 55 ft sec

  10. Dimensional Analysis • Example: • A car travels 55 feet per second; • How fast is it traveling in miles per hour? Known value: Unity value: 55 ft 60 sec sec min

  11. Dimensional Analysis • Example: • A car travels 55 feet per second; • How fast is it traveling in miles per hour? Known value: Unity value: Unity value: 60 min 55 ft 60 sec hr sec min

  12. Dimensional Analysis • Example: • A car travels 55 feet per second; • How fast is it traveling in miles per hour? known value: unity value: unity value: unity value: mi 55 ft 60 sec 60 min 5,280 ft hr sec min

  13. Dimensional Analysis • Example: • A car travels 55 feet per second; • How fast is it traveling in miles per hour? known value: unity value: unity value: unity value: 37.5 mi mi 55 ft 60 sec 60 min = 5,280 ft hr hr sec min

  14. Sprayer CalibrationKnown Area Method • Single nozzle sprayer: • Measure out 100 square feet; • 10 ft by 10 ft • Measuring in a weed patch beneficial • Fill sprayer about half full, but exact volume known; • Pump up sprayer and spray marked area just like would spray weeds; • Measure amount of water used; • Amount used to spray 100 sq ft • Can calculate rate per acre and then percentage of an acre sprayer will treat

  15. Sprayer Calibration Example Known Area Method 15 fl oz per 100 ft2: 15 fl oz gallon 43,560 ft2 = 100 ft2 128 floz A

  16. Sprayer Calibration Example Known Area Method 15 fl oz per 100 ft2: 15 floz gallon 51 gal 43,560 ft2 = A 100 ft2 128 floz A

  17. Sprayer Calibration Example Known Area Method 15 fl oz per 100 ft2: 15 fl oz gallon 51 gal 43,560 ft2 = A 100 ft2 128 floz A What part of an acre will a 3 gal capacity sprayer cover? A 3 gal = 51 gal tank

  18. Sprayer Calibration Example Known Area Method 15 fl oz per 100 ft2: 15 fl oz gallon 51 gal 43,560 ft2 = A 100 ft2 128 floz A What part of an acre will a 3 gal capacity sprayer cover? A 0.059 A 3 gal = 51 gal tank tank

  19. Sprayer Calibration Example Known Area Method 15 fl oz per 100 ft2: 15 fl oz gallon 51 gal 43,560 ft2 = A 100 ft2 128 floz A What part of an acre will a 3 gal capacity sprayer cover? A 0.059 A 3 gal = 51 gal tank tank How much herbicide to add if rate is 1 qt per acre? 0.059 A 946 ml 1 qt = tank A qt

  20. Sprayer Calibration Example Known Area Method 15 fl oz per 100 ft2: 15 fl oz gallon 51 gal 43,560 ft2 = A 100 ft2 128 floz A What part of an acre will a 3 gal capacity sprayer cover? A 0.059 A 3 gal = 51 gal tank tank How much herbicide to add if rate is 1 qt per acre? 0.059 A 946 ml 1 qt 56 ml = tank A qt tank

  21. Sprayer CalibrationKnown Area Method • Boom sprayer: • Boom width 16.67 ft • Filled 500 gallon tank half full with water • Spray 500 ft & used 3.4 gallons of water • 500 ft w/16.67 ft boom = 8,276 ft2 • What is sprayer output in gallons per acre? 3.4 gal 8,276 ft2

  22. Sprayer CalibrationKnown Area Method • Boom sprayer: • Boom width 16.67 ft • Filled 500 gallon tank half full with water • Spray 500 ft & used 3.4 gallons of water • 500 ft w/16.67 ft boom = 8,276 ft2 • What is sprayer output in gallons per acre? 3.4 gal 43,560 ft2 = A 8,276 ft2

  23. Sprayer CalibrationKnown Area Method • Boom sprayer: • Boom width 16.67 ft • Filled 500 gallon tank half full with water • Spray 500 ft & used 3.4 gallons of water • 500 ft w/16.67 ft boom = 8,276 ft2 • What is sprayer output in gallons per acre? 3.4 gal 17.8 gal 43,560 ft2 = A 8,276 ft2 A

  24. Sprayer CalibrationStationary Method • Boom sprayer; nozzles 20 inch spacing • Nozzle output: • 10 nozzles • Average output per nozzle = 900 ml per minute • What is nozzle output in gallons per minute? gal 900 ml = min 3,785 ml nozzle

  25. Sprayer CalibrationStationary Method • Boom sprayer; nozzles 20 inch spacing • Nozzle output: • 10 nozzles • Average output per nozzle = 900 ml per minute • What is nozzle output in gallons per minute? gal 900 ml 0.24 gal = min min nozzle 3,785 ml nozzle

  26. Sprayer CalibrationStationary Method • Ground speed: • Tractor & sprayer traveled 352 ft in one minute; • How fast in miles per hour? mi 352 ft 60 min = hr min 5,280 ft

  27. Sprayer CalibrationStationary Method • Ground speed: • Tractor & sprayer traveled 352 ft in one minute; • How fast in miles per hour? 4 mi mi 352 ft 60 min = hr min 5,280 ft hr

  28. Sprayer CalibrationStationary Method • Have determined: • Nozzle output; 0.24 gal per minute per nozzle • Ground speed; 4 miles per hour • Other knowns: • Effective boom width is: 1.67 ft nozzle 10 nozzles Boom 16.67 ft Boom =

  29. Sprayer CalibrationStationary Method • Have determined: • Nozzle output; 0.24 gal per minute per nozzle • Ground speed; 4 miles per hour • Other knowns: • Boom width is 16.67 ft • 5,280 ft per mile • 43,560 ft2 per acre • What is sprayer output?

  30. Sprayer CalibrationStationary Method 60 min hr 0.24 gal boom 10 noz = min nozzle 16.67 ft boom hr 4 mi mi 5,280 ft 43,560 ft2 A =

  31. Sprayer CalibrationStationary Method 60 min hr 0.24 gal boom 10 noz = min nozzle 16.67 ft boom hr 4 mi mi 5,280 ft 43,560 ft2 A 17.8 gal A =

  32. Sprayer Calibration • Our sprayer has a 500 gallon tank and output is 17.8 gallons per acre; • How many acres will a tank spray? A 500 gallons = tank 17.8 gallons

  33. Sprayer Calibration • Our sprayer has a 500 gallon tank and output is 19 gallons per acre; • How many acres will a tank spray? A 28 A 500 gallons = tank tank 17.8 gallons

  34. Sprayer Calibration • Our 500 gallon tank sprayer • 19 gallons per acre will spray 28 acres • Target weed is Canada thistle; • Milestone at 7 fl oz product per acre • How much Milestone should be added to a full tank? 7 floz 28 A = A tank

  35. Sprayer Calibration • Our 500 gallon tank sprayer • 19 gallons per acre will spray 28 acres • Target weed is Canada thistle; • Milestone at 7 fl oz product per acre • How much Milestone should be added to a full tank? 7 floz 196 fl oz 28 A = tank A tank

  36. Sprayer Calibration • Another stationary method: • Measure boom width in feet or inches • Measure total nozzle output per minute • Divide by 128 to determine GPM • GPA = 5940xGPM/MPHxBW (5940 for BW in inches; 495 for BW in feet) • Still must determine how many acres per tank and how much herbicide to add

  37. Colorado State University Weed Science

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