Learning to spray again

Tom Wolf Agrimetrix Research & Training, SK

@nozzle_guy

Jason Deveau OMAFRA, ON @spray_guy

Learning to Spray …again complying with new dicamba & 2,4-D choline labels

Presented by HELMUT SPIESER ●

Old is new again

Monsanto’s Xtend: glypho + dicamba (VaporGrip)

*BASF’s Engenia: dicamba

Dow’s Enlist Duo: glyphosate + 2,4-D choline

2,4-D

Dicamba

Monsanto’s XtendiMax: dicamba (VaporGrip)

Dicamba

2,4-D

*submitted to PMRA for registration

What’s the big deal?

• Synthetic auxins can cause a lot of damage when there is off-target movement (from drift, vapour & contaminated sprayers)

• New traits means 2,4-D and

dicamba will be sprayed by: • more producers, • on more acreage, • and because of post-

emergent applications, later in the season

• Plus, low-cost, generic and

more volatile chemistries (e.g. 2,4-D amine or ester) may be (inadvisably) substituted https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/id/id-453-w.pdf

Photo source Monsanto demo plots: Chatham, Ontario

Powerful herbicides

• Even trace amounts have big impacts

• These are rinses with water, sprayed over conventional soybeans

Choline chemistry = low volatility

• Humidomes (lab) and field work indicate low volatility

Imag

e so

urce

: Dow

(201

6)

Colex-D formulation = low drift

• Dow Agro-Sciences research farm in Fowler ON, in 4 mph winds

• Low-drift formulation claim 75% less physical drift

Imag

e so

urce

: Dow

(201

6)

Gov’t, media and industry: Renewed focus on stewardship

• There is more attention than ever before on spray drift and sprayer settings

Image source: Monsanto (2014)

XC

1) Nozzle selection (>Coarse) 2) Boom height (<24 inches) 3) Wind direction & speed (<15 mph) 4) Application volume (15 g/ac or greater) 5) Observe buffer zones & nearby sensitive crops 6) Greater attention to sprayer cleanout

Renewed focus on stewardship

• BASF founded this academy comprised of independent application tech specialists

• There are six major tenants:

What should the producer / custom applicator do?

• Droplet size is a component in how the PMRA determines ‘risk’ and establishes buffer zones

• And, because the labels specify, it’s the law

• To reduce the potential for unhappy surprises, comply with the label

• Central to compliance is knowing the size of the droplets coming out of your sprayer

Droplet size and the label: Enlist Duo

coarse to extremely coarse spray

Droplet size and the label: XtendiMax (same as Banvel II)

extremely coarse to ultra coarse

Droplet size and the label: Engenia

extremely coarse to ultra coarse

Submitted to PMRA for registration Label not yet finalised

One nozzle makes many droplet sizes

• A single nozzle produces a range of droplet sizes

• The median droplet size changes with pressure

• Rate controllers adjust pressure according to travel speed

Spray quality

ASABE 572.1 is a standard that defines categories for flat fan spray quality based

on the droplet size range, & number relative to volume

Spray quality categories

• Most nozzle manufacturers voluntarily comply with this standard and provide spray quality information

ISO flat fan rates for water at 40 psi

• Nozzle colour does not indicate spray quality

• Nozzle colour indicates rate

• So how do you figure out spray quality?

How to determine your spray quality

1. ID the nozzles on the sprayer

2. Match the nozzle to published spray quality data

3. ID the expected pressures for expected travel speed range and water volume

Hardi Flat Fan

• Type, Material, Flow Rate, Angle (…except Deere)

• Hardi • (F) = Flat fan • (03 & blue colour) = 0.3 gpm @ 40 psi • (110) = 110° fan angle

• Catalogue gives data

TeeJet AI TwinFan

• ID may be hidden under cap

• Note AI spray quality vs. conventional

• Some tips can be tougher to ID…

GreenLeaf (Agrotop) TurboDrop Asymmetrical Dual Flat Fan (TADF)

TurboDrop Venturi TeeJet VisiFlo SprayMax XR

GreenLeaf (Agrotop) TurboDrop Asymmetrical Dual Flat Fan (TADF)

• Venturi metres pressure and flow, so it dictates overall rate • Droplet size is determined by the tips • Venturi rate is generally ½ combined rate of the two tips

Venturi (04) Fan (05) Fan (03)

= ( ) ÷ 2 +

GreenLeaf (Agrotop) TurboDrop Asymmetrical Dual Flat Fan (TADF)

http://www.greenleaftech.com/dynamic.php?pg=Choosing_the_Right_Nozzle/Nozzle_Calculator

• Thankfully, you can just look up the whole combo in the catalogue

• Don’t have a catalogue? Go online to the manufacturer’s website

GreenLeaf (Agrotop) TurboDrop Asymmetrical Dual Flat Fan (TADF)

Hypro Guardian Flatfan

• Some nozzle/cap combos print the ID in ink

• While rare, some catalogues don’t specify spray quality… so what to do?

Smartphone nozzle wizards and calculators

• As they say, “there’s an app for that”

Smartphone nozzle wizards and calculators

• This app has every flat fan typically used in Canada

• Search spray quality by nozzle, or nozzle by spray quality!

Make your pressure gauge your speedometer (Tom Wolf)

• When using rate controllers, operate nozzle from mid-to-high pressure range (especially AI tips)

• Now you can slow down (e.g. turns) without compromising spray quality or uniformity

• Identify your nozzles

• Look up the recommended pressure range of your nozzle

• Determine the spray quality over the pressure range

• Identify the travel speeds at which you will meet the label spray quality requirements

Homework

For once, Calvin is mistaken.

Dr. Tom Wolf

@nozzle_guy Dr. Jason Deveau

@spray_guy

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