Setting up the Sprayer
1. You’re helping an applicator set up his low-volume boom sprayer for a broadcast application. He wants to know the appropriate nozzle tips to select in meeting the following conditions:
· The product label recommends an ideal per-acre output volume of 15 gallons to maximize effectiveness.
· The application will be made at a speed of 8 mph.
From the manufacturer’s nozzle selection chart, provide 2 suitable 80° tip choices for an application made at pressures 70 psi or less.
What is the flow rate (gpm) for the 2 nozzles selected?
Which of the 2 tips would you recommend to minimize the potential for drift to occur and provide the primary reasoning behind your decision?
2. You’re setting up a low-volume 4-nozzle backpack sprayer for a broadcast application. What would be the appropriate nozzle tip to select in meeting the following conditions:
· You want a per-acre output volume of 20 gallons.
· The application will be made at a speed of 3 mph.
From the manufacturer’s nozzle selection chart, provide a suitable 80° tip choice for an application made at a pressure of 40 psi.
Calibration Practice Calculations
What is the speed in mph of an airplane sprayer covering a linear length of a 1,248-yard field in 39.8 seconds?
What is the area, in acres, of a spray swath of 63 feet moving over a linear distance of 870 feet?
How much water should a new 11004 nozzle tip apply per minute at a pressure of 40 psi?
When set correctly, what should be the angle of the nozzle’s spray pattern to achieve the proper overlap?
You collect the following per-nozzle volumes from a sprayer for a catch-time of 30 seconds with 6 nozzles: 222 ml, 235 ml, 214 ml, 239 ml, 228 ml, and 219 ml.
What is the average nozzle output?
Using the 10% variation rule, do any of the nozzles need to be cleaned or replaced?
What is the average nozzle output in gallons per minute?
A grower wishes to make a broadcast application of a pesticide. He will use a tractor-mounted 48-ft boom sprayer with nozzles spaced 20 inches along the boom. The pesticide label states for ideal effectiveness, a carrier volume of 15 gpa should be applied. He will be driving the tractor at 8 mph. What should the sprayer’s per-nozzle gpm be set to achieve this application?
Assume the sprayer in the previous already has nozzles installed and is parked. You do a 30-second output check of the nozzles and catch an average of 408 ml per nozzle. What is the sprayer’s output if the applicator plans to drive at 12 mph?
If the sprayer has 30-inch nozzle spacing:
How many linear feet must be traveled for it to treat 1/128th of an acre?
If it takes 15 seconds to cover the number of linear feet to treat the 1/128th of an acre and 24 ounces of water were caught during this time, what is the output in gallons per acre?
How much of an EC formulation should be mixed into a full 300-gallon tank if the recommended product rate is 8 ounces per acre and the sprayer’s output is 40 gpa?
If an EC product label states to mix a product as a 2% solution, how much of the product should be mixed into 150 gallons of water?
You determine that a boom has an effective swath width of 20 feet. You fill the sprayer’s tank to capacity with clean water. You take the sprayer on a 500-foot test run while operating. When you’re done, you refill the tank to capacity using a 1-gallon bucket and see that it took 11.5 gallons to fill.
How much area, in acres, was treated?
How many gallons per acre is the sprayer treating?