April 14, 2022 Equipment, Top Headlines Leave a comment
By Erdal Ozcan, Ohio State University Extension
Whenever I give a presentation about the need to calibrate a sprayer and how to do it, there is always someone asking me this same question: “I have a rate controller in the cab that regulates the flow rate of the sprayer regardless of the changes in sprayer ground speed. I just enter the gallons per acre application rate, and the controller does the rest, just like a cruise control in a car. So, should I still calibrate the sprayer? The answer is, Yes, a calibration should be done. Although the rate controllers do an excellent job with regulating the flow rate of nozzles to keep the application rate constant regardless of the changes in travel speed, a manual calibration at least once a year is needed for two reasons: 1) to ensure the rate controller is functioning properly, 2) the rate controller is not forced to operate outside the pressure operating range for the nozzles on the sprayer boom. Let me elaborate on both points I made and share with you the reasons why a manual calibration of a sprayer is a good idea.
How to calibrate a sprayer?
It usually doesn’t take more than 30 minutes to calibrate a sprayer, and only three things are needed: a watch or smart phone to record the time when measuring the nozzle flow rate or the travel speed, a measuring tape, and a jar graduated in ounces. Please look at the Ohio State University Extension publication FABE-520 for an easy method to calibrate a boom-type sprayer. Here is the URL for this publication:
http:// ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/fabe-520 .
By Dusty Sonnenberg, CCA, Ohio Field Leader: a project of the Ohio Soybean Council and …
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August 12, 2022 — Sunny and dry today and tomorrow. We finally saw our airmass change over the entire state, leading to lower humidity to finish the week and start the weekend…More from Chief Meteorologist Ryan Martin
Sunny and dry today and tomorrow. We finally saw our airmass change over the entire state, leading to lower humidity to finish the week and start the weekend…