Sprayers Ride-On-Sprayers Tank Sprayers Calibration Sprayers Ride-On-Sprayers Tank Sprayers Presentation by: Pete Cavallaro

Importance of calibrating your equipment Properly Calibrated Equipment Effective product performance Reduced potential for plant injury Environmental Stewardship Regulatory Compliance Economic Efficiency Reduced callbacks from customers

Backpack/Hand Sprayers Step 1 – Prep your area for Calibration Measure out and mark 1,000 sq. ft. Example: 20’ x 50’ area = 1,000 sq. ft. Fill hand can or sprayer with 2 gallons of clean water

Backpack/Hand Sprayers Step 2 – Determine your spray rate Apply in water in the marked off area Apply in this area just as you would when applying a product Consistent walking speed Consistent pattern, including height from ground Determine the amount of water sprayed Result is your spray rate per 1,000 sq. ft. I.E. = 1 gallon per 1,000 sq. ft.

Backpack/Hand Sprayers Step 3 – Determine Coverage of Sprayer Divide the tank capacity by spray rate 4 gallons ÷ 1 gallon = 1,000 sq. ft. Determine the amount of water sprayed Result is your spray rate per 1,000 sq. ft

Backpack/Hand Sprayers Step 4 - Determine the amount of control product to be used Label rate for a herbicide calls for 1.5 oz. per 1,000 sq. ft. Multiply the rate by sprayer coverage (4 gallons) 4 x 1.5 oz. = 6 oz. 6 oz. of herbicide for 4 gallons of water Calibrate your backpack sprayer with the nozzle tip you plan to use for each application

Backpack/Hand Sprayers Important that calibration is completed for each person using the sprayer For Example: Spray Rate is now 2 gallons per 1,000 sq. ft. Backpack has a 4 gallon capacity 4 ÷ 2 = 2 (2,000 sq. ft. coverage 2 X 1.5 oz. = 3 oz. Use 3 oz. of chemical in 4 gallons of water Use ½ the amount of chemical as in previous example.

Many factors can influence the application rate Application Speed Weather Conditions Age and condition of sprayer, general equipment wear Maintain the same application speed used while calibrating Swing your forearm, not your wrist Keep pressure in the tank at a consistent level Try not to overlap or under-lap too much Use a dye colorant if possible

What you need to Calibrate your Ride-on-Sprayer

Ride-on-Sprayer Calibration Step 1 – Determine effective Spray Width Use plain water to start and fill the tanks Measure the effective width of spray Divide 1,000 sq. Ft. by spray width Example: 1000 ÷ 10 = 100 Using a measuring wheel, mark off the distance with cones or turf marking paint Example: Mark off 100 ft. Start and finish

Ride-on-Sprayer Calibration Step 2 – Time the application Make a timed application in this area Consistent speed Start to apply 20’ prior to the starting line Step 3 – Collect water Collect water from each nozzle the same amount of times from Step # 2 Always keep your RPM on your equipment the same Record each amount from each nozzle

Ride-on-Sprayer Calibration Step 4 – Total Add up the total amount of water collected from Step 3 Example 15 + 15 = 30 oz. While collecting water at the nozzles check for any issues , such as a clogged nozzle. Take the total amount of water and divide by the number of nozzles, this will give you an average output per nozzle Example: 30 ÷ 2 = 15 oz. If the variance between nozzles is up or down by 10%, check your nozzles and screens for debris and replace as needed Go through the last two steps until under a difference of 10%

Ride-on-Sprayer Calibration Step 5 – determine your ride-on-sprayer tank coverage Multiply total gallons of your unit by 128 oz. (1 gallon) Determine the number of ounces Example 20 gallons = 2,560 oz. Divide the total capacity in ounces by the water collected in Step 4 Example: 2,560 ÷ 30 = 85.3 20 gallons will cover 85,300 sq. ft.

Ride-on-Sprayer Calibration Step 6 – Determine the amount of control product being used Always refer to the product label for the correct application rate Example: a herbicide has a rate of 1.5 oz. per 1,000 sq. ft. Multiply the tank coverage by application rate Determine the correct amount of control product to add Example 85.3 (coverage) x 1.5 oz. = 127.95 oz. (128 oz.) Use 128 oz. for one tank, or 64 oz. for two tanks

Ride-on-Sprayers Nurse tanks Clean filters

Ride-On-Sprayer Granular Spreader Calibration Step 1 – Determine the effective spread width Place catch devise 12” wide on a paved surface with room to let your equipment pass Set the hopper opening to the manufacturers recommendation on the product label Fill the hopper ½ full of product and make multiple passes over the catch pans Speed is important so keep it close to 3 mph

Correct application for granular products Step 2 – Collect the granular fertilizer in the pans and put into vials – look for variations on the spread pattern.

Granular Spreader Calibration Step 3 – Determine the distance to travel Divide 1,000 by the effective spread width Example: 1,000 ÷ 8 ft. = 125 ft. (8’ X 125’ = 1,000 sq. ft) Using a measuring wheel and marking paint of stakes, mark off 125 ft. from start to finish .

Granular Spreader Calibration Step 4 – Determine the application Rate Weigh out 15 lbs. of product and pour into the hopper Set your spreader according to mfg. Setting Ensure a constant speed from sprayer calibration over the 125 ft. area Weigh the product left un the hopper Subtract end amount from the beginning amount. Started with 15 lbs. and we have 10 lbs. left, we spread 5 lbs over 1,000 sq. ft. Fine tune the spreader opening to meet your recommended label requirements, close it some to apply less lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft

Sprayer Calibration – Sprayers Importance of Calibration Under applying a product will cause poor or non performance to the application area Call backs will increase (under apply a pre-emergent and costs will increase during the season for rescue) Unhappy customers Over applying a product can cause damage to the target area End up costing $$$ for repairs

Sprayer Calibration – Sprayers tools for calibrating Tools needed for Calibrating a Sprayer 1. 5 gallon bucket Stop watch Stakes, cones, or turf marking paint Measuring wheel or tape measure Calculator

Sprayer Calibration – Nozzles & bucket test Step 1 - Determine nozzle application rate - 1.5 – 2 GPM = Blue - 2 – 3 GPM = Yellow - 4 – 5 GPM = Green Step 2 Bucket Test – determine flow Fill sprayer with 25 gallons of water Spray into the 5 gallon bucket for one minute Amount in your bucket should match the nozzle – 1.5 GPM = blue nozzle Adjust pressure on your pressure gage to get the 1.5 gallons to one minute

Sprayer Calibration – Sprayers width Step 3 – Effective spray width Spray a area with water only and measure effective width Divide 1,000 sq. ft. by the spray width Example: 1,000 ÷ 8 = 125 ft Mark off 125 ft. start to finish

Sprayer Calibration – Sprayers rate Step 4 - time your application over the 1,000 sq. ft area Use a stop watch to determine how long it takes to spray this area Step 5 – Multiply the timed application by nozzle output Determine the amount being applied over 1,000 sq. ft. Example: 1 minute x 1.5 gallons = a rate of 1.5 gallons per 1,000 sq. ft.

Sprayer Calibration – Sprayers coverage Step 6 – How much will a tank of product cover? Divide the total capacity in gallons of spray tank by the rate per 1,000 sq. ft Examples: 50 gallon tank ÷ 1.5 gallon rate = 33,300 sq. ft. Example 100 gallon tank ÷ 1.5 gallon rate – 66,000 sq. ft. What if we have a 200 gallon tank and we are applying at 2 GPM – What is our coverage for a full tank of product? 100,000 sq. ft. correct!

Sprayer Calibration – Sprayers Coverage – area we will be applying to, now we need to make the mix for the correct application of the control products being used Always Read & Follow the label instructions Herbicide is calling for 1.5 oz. of product per 1,000 sq. ft Using a 200 gallon sprayer at 2 GPM, how many oz. of product would we use? Tank coverage is 100,000 sq. ft at 2 GPM, so multiply 100 x 1.5 oz. = 150 oz. of the herbicide is needed to have accurate coverage on 100,000 sq. ft.

Sprayer Calibration – Sprayers Accuracy is so important Under apply and we will have limited control and call backs are almost a given! Over apply and we could damage the non-targeted plants Bottom line could hurt the reputation of the application company

Sprayer Calibration – Sprayers Additional factors to remember when making any application – Walking speed or speed of the equipment is critical for Accuracy Wind – weather conditions Age and condition of the equipment being used Type of gun, nozzles, and wear all effect the application

Sprayer Calibration – Sprayers good tips When servicing a property, start at the farthest point from your vehicle and work back to it Maintain the same speed all day Limit overlapping the application Keep your forearm parallel to the ground while spraying Swing forearm, not the wrist Use additives to limit drift, add colorants to see patterns better

Sprayer Calibration – Sprayers Check and clean filters regularly Check and clean nozzles Replace diaphragms with heavy use Rinse sprayer after change of products Check pump, filters, hoses after each round Calibrate your sprayer regularly and when a different applicator uses this equipment Winterize – use RV Anti-freeze throughout the system Change oil, O-rings, diaphragms, as recommended by the manufacturer

Questions? Resources online https://media.oregonstate.edu/media/calibrating_and_using_backpack_spra yers/0_hf9le2ii (Oregan State – backpack sprayers) http://www.stma.org/sites/stma/files/STMA_Bulletins/Backpack%20Sprayer% 20Calibration%20FINAL.pdf (STMA backpack & hand-held sprayer calibration) http://grounds-mag.com/mag/grounds_maintenance_calibrate_sprayer/ (Sprayer calibration – Grounds maintenance) https://ppp.purdue.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/PPP-104.pdf (Perdue Extension Services - How to calibrate your ride-on-sprayers)