Product Labels, Sprayer Calibration, and Nozzle Selection

1. Product Labels, Sprayer
Calibration, and Nozzle
Selection
Matthew Matocha
Extension Program Specialist
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

2. The Pesticide Label
What You Need To Ask!
• The right chemical for the job?
• Correct conditions for safe
application?
• Will it control the target pest?

3. It is a violation of Federal law
to use this pesticide in a
manner inconsistent with its
labeling.

4. I’m an
experienced
applicator…
I’m too busy…
I’ve used this
product for
years…
Common
excuses for
not reading
the label

5. I’ve used this
product for
years…
Labels Change!
Re-registration
of products under
the Food Quality Protection
Act (FQPA)

6. Signal Words
• The word on the label that tells the
potential hazards of the product
– Danger Poison
w/ skull & Crossbones
– Danger
– Warning
– Caution

7. The more toxic a pesticide,
the more PPE that is required
CAUTION
Regular work
clothes—long-
sleeved shirt,
long pants,
shoes & socks,
waterproof
gloves
WARNING
Coveralls over
work clothing,
shoes & socks,
chemical-
resistant gloves,
eyewear
DANGER
Coveralls over
work clothing,
chemical-
resistant gloves
and footwear,
respiratory and
eye protection

8. Herbicide Labels --

9. Can I substitute these products
for each other to control aquatic
weeds ?
Same active ingredient: ?? Glyphosate

10. Same active ingredient: ??
Glyphosate

11. Environmental Hazards:
Do not apply directly to water, or areas where
surface water is present, or intertidal areas below
the mean high water mark. Do not contaminate
water when cleaning equipment or disposing of
equipment wash water.
Same active ingredient: ??
Glyphosate
Do not apply directly to water,

12. • Brand Name can often include:
–The percent of active ingredient
incorporated into the product name
–Type of pesticide
Trade, Brand,
or Product Names

13. The following pesticide
applications are considered off
label and therefore are illegal:
-Applying above the highest
dose rate
-Applying more frequently than
the label allows
-Applying without using PPE
-Applying to a site that is not on
the label

14. The pesticide product label is the law!
• Requirements not
suggestions.
Any other
reasons to read
the product
label?

16. PPE: Eye Protection
Goggles or face shield
are required if label
calls for eye protection.
Face shield offers more
protection when mixing
and loading. A chemical
resistant hat is sometimes
specified on the label.

17. What else
about Labels?

18. Drift Language
What else should you worry
about on the Label?

19. Types of Spray Equipment
Hand sprayer
Knapsack (LOK)
Battery powered

20. Pull Type/Estate Sprayers

21. Biggest Complaints for Small
Sprayers
• It won’t work with more than 2 tips!
• The trailer is too low to the ground.
• I can’t adjust the pressure.
• It won’t run my boomless nozzle.
• I can’t adjust the boom height.

22. Other problems with small
sprayers
• Some provide no agitation
• Few have mechanism to regulate pressure
• Speed is critical for calibration

23. Application Equipment:

24. Sprayer Components:
• Tanks (contamination issues)
• Pump, Strainers, Agitation
• Pressure gauge
• Hoses, Flow control assemblies
• Electronics: monitors-computers-
controllers (GPS/GIS)
• Distribution system
• Nozzles!!!!!!!!!

25. Types of Pumps:
• Roller Pump
• Centrifugal Pump
• Diaphragm Pump
• Piston Pump
• Peristaltic Pump (Squeeze or
hose pump – chemical injection)

26. Construction

27. Boom or Boomless?

28. Maybe Both?

29. Tanks
• Polyethylene
• Fiberglass
• Stainless steel
• Galvanized
• Size –
– 50 – 500 gal
– $120 - $500

30. Nozzles Types?

31. Why Calibrate?
Economics
• Example – You think sprayer applies 15
GPA; actually it applies 16.5 GPA
– Grazon P+D @ 2 qt/A = $16.50/A + $3.50 =
$20/A
– Calibration off by 10% = $2.00/A
– $2/A @ 200 A = $400 loss

32. Another example
• You think sprayer applies 15 GPA; actually
it applies 18 GPA (20%)
– Crossbow @ 2 qt/A = $27/A + $3.50 =
$30.50/A
– Calibration off by 20% = $6.10/A
– $6.10/A @ 200A = $1,220 loss

33. Calculations
GPA=
5940
#$!@&%!

36. Calibration Method
• How many methods are there?
• 1/128th method for boom sprayers
• 1/8th method for boomless sprayers

37. Boom Sprayer
• Determine nozzle spacing
• Refer to table
• Mark off course
• Record time
• Park and catch from 1 nozzle
• Ounces caught = gallons per acre

38. 1st Step – Determine nozzle
spacing…

39. Boom Sprayer
• Determine nozzle spacing
• Refer to table
• Mark off course
• Record time
• Park and catch from 1 nozzle
• Ounces caught = gallons per acre

40. Nozzle spacing gives you course
length
Nozzle spacing
18
20
30
40
Length of course
227
204
136
102
* To determine course for other nozzle spacing, divide the spacing
in feet into 340 (340 sq ft = 1/128 A) ex: for 19 in spacing = 340 /
(19/12) = 215 feet

41. Mark off calibration course
• 100 ft tape or longer
• Remember to start sprayer before course
• Set speed (gear and RPM) for spraying

42. Record time to drive course

43. Boom Sprayer
• Determine nozzle spacing
• Refer to table
• Mark off course
• Record time
• Park and catch from 1 nozzle
• Ounces caught = gallons per acre

44. Park tractor, maintain rpm, turn
on sprayer

45. Number of ounces = GPA

46. Calibrating a Boomless Sprayer
• 1st Step – Determine swath width…

47. Determining swath width
• Measure swath in feet
• Allow some overlap at edges
• Check uniformity of pattern
• Go to table…

48. Swath width gives you course
length
Swath width
20
25
30
35
40
45
Length of course
273
218
182
156
136
121

49. How to calculate swath width
• Based on 1/8th of an acre
• Take swath width and divide into 5,445 sq ft
• Example: swath = 28
5,445/28 = 195

50. Mark off calibration course
• 100 ft tape or longer
• Remember to start sprayer before course
• Set speed (gear and RPM) for spraying

51. Record time to drive course

52. Park tractor, maintain rpm, turn
on sprayer

53. Number of pints = GPA

54. Adjusting Rate
Ground Speed
• Linear relationship
• Doubling speed cuts rate in half
• Cutting speed in half doubles rate

55. To Increase Rate:
• Slow down
• Use larger nozzle
• Increase pressure
• Decrease nozzle spacing

56. To Decrease Rate:
• Speed up
• Use smaller nozzle
• Decrease pressure
• Increase nozzle spacing

57. How do you change pressure?
• RPMs
• Adjust regulator

58. Electronics/Rate Controllers
• How does your system
work when speed
changes?
• Is it pressure based?
• What is the effect of going
slower?
• What is the effect of going
faster?

59. Spray Controllers

60. Guidance Systems
• Foam marker
• GPS / Lightbar Navigation
– Spraying systems
– Trimble
– Agleader
– $1300 – 10K

61. Spray Applications………
• What about
herbicide drift?
• Be mindful of
neighboring crops,
including ornamentals
and gardens
• Select tip to help
control drift

62. Nozzles
• TeeJet 11002’s (110o plume, -02 size
orifice).
• XR – Extended Range (15-60 psi)
– Simple single orifice
• DG – Drift Guard (30 – 60 psi)
– Pre orifice
• AIXR – Air Induction XR (15 – 90
psi)
– Pre orifice, venturi
• AI – Air Induction (30 – 100 psi)
– Pre orifice, venturi
• TTI – Turbo TeeJet Induction (15 –
100 psi)
– Pre orifice, venturi air aspirator,
mixing chamber
TTI11004 VP

63. Nozzle Effects at 60 PSI

64. Summary
• Nozzle design has the greatest effect on the
droplet size spectra of agricultural sprays.
• Herbicide formulations can have a significant
impact on droplet size spectra as well.
• Proper nozzle selection, operating pressure, and
herbicide product can go a long way in helping to
minimize the risk for physical drift to occur.
– However, this is no substitute for other important
application parameters (wind speed, boom height,
etc.).

65. Focus on ground application

66. Mark Matocha, PhD.
mmatocha@ag.tamu.edu
Any Questions?