Here’s how to tank-mix two or three herbicides
LANCASTER Farmers
are now tank mixing more
and more pesticides to
control a broader spectrum
of weeds, insects, and
diseases, and to improve
application efficiency.
With fuel in short supply
these days, tank mixes are
becoming more popular.
Farmers can save time,
money, labor and fuel by
simply mixing compatible
pesticides and making one
application. Some fanners
like to go one step further by
applying pesticides in a
mixture with liquid fer
tilizer.
New EPA registrations for
1980 clearing three-way
herbicide tank mixes, such
as Sutan+/Bladex/atrazine
combination for corn, will
require farmers to be more
careful when tank mixing,
says Stauffer Chemical’s
Dave Martin.
“If pesticides are not tank
mixed properly,” Martin
says, “clogged tanks and
lines, and uneven, deficient
or excessive rates of ap
plication may result.
“This can cause crop
injury, poor pest control and
residue problems, in ad
dition to the expense and
disposal involved with
mixtures that can’t be used.
It’s essential for growers to
follow pesticide label in
structions closely.”
Martin offers farmers the
following tank mixing tips
and reminders:
Do a small scale “jar” test
to check compatibility.
Place one pint of carrier
water or fluid fertilizer in a
quart jar.
Add each pesticide or a
pre-mix of pesticide in
water, one at a time, and
shake well with each ad
dition. Use each product in
the same proportion to
carrier as it will be in the
actual tank mix.
Unless labels indicate
otherwise, add pesticides in
this order: wettable powders
first, followed by flowables,
water solubles, surfactants
and emulsifiable con
centrates.
Invert the jar 10 tunes,
then inspect the mixture
immediately and after
standuig quietly for 30
minutes.
If a uniform mix cannot be
made or if nondispersable
oil, sludge or clumps of
solids form, the mixture is
incompatible and should not
be used.
Minor separation after 30
minutes, without sludge or
clumps and which remixes
readily with 10 jar in
versions, is tolerable if field
spray tank agitation is good
and keeps the combination
mixed.
Adding a spray adjuvant
in testing compatibility of
mixes can avoid many
problems. An adjuvant helps
keep the mixture emulsified.
Several of those available
are Compex, Sponto 168 D,
Uni-Mix and Unite.
When tank mixing in
volume, put two-thirds of the
carrier in the tank first.
Then add pesticides one by
one, with wettable powders
first.
Agitate for thorough
mixing after each addition,
before pouring in the next.
Finish filling the tank with
carrier.
Keepmg agitation going at
all times on the way to the
field, during application and
during stops for any reason.
Empty the tank preferably
on the day of mixing. Do not
Farm Show
happy with
HARRISBURG - For
anyone attending the Farm
Show’s open and junior
shows held m the large
arena, a noticeable im
provement on crowd control
was evident this year.
Hugh Coffman, Farm
Show director, attributes
some of the improvement to
a new security firm hired for
the Farm Show events this
year. The firm is Industrial
and Business Security of
Harrisburg.
lahcaster Farming, Saturday, February 9,1980—13
allow the mixture to stand
overnight without agitation.
Check labels for tem
perature and humidity data
as they affect mixing or
delay in use.
With any new com
bination, test the tank
mixture on small areas, at
varying rates and conditions
of use before large scale use.
director
crowds
He also gave credit to the
State Police and Captain
Eyerly, who had the over all
responsibility to see that
things went smoothly at this
year’s show.
“Even I helped to patrol
the large arena at times,”
noted Coffman, who said he
pledged to make the Farm
Show’s large arena a safe
place for specators and
exhibitors alike.
He noted that the security
guards roped off the upper
Check vour extension
agent for test data and on
variations in local water
supply that may affect
performance.
*■ Use exact dosage rates for
registered tank mixes.
Changes may cause crop
injury or poor performance
on weeds or pests.
sections of the mam arena so
that trouble makers couldn’t
get lost so easily.
But most of the credit for a
safe and successful Farm
Show Coffman gave to the
exhibitors and spectators
themselves.
“Everyone seemed to be
cooperating,” he said. “I
want to thank them all for
understanding.”
He also pointed out there
were no problems with the
blocking chutes that were
permitted inside the beef
bams at the last minute
before the show began.
“We were very pleased
with the way the chutes
turned out there were no
significant problems,”
Coffman noted.
Concerning the
possibilities of charging
admission to next year’s
show, Coffman stated that it
is an idea that has been
kicked around for a number
of years, and was abandoned
because it didn’t get much
support-
“It’s a matter of logistics
for implementation,” he
said. “We would certainly
sample a lot of people’s
feelings before we went
ahead with the idea.”
“I feel we have to keep in
mind that this is the Farm
Show and we are here to
promote Pennsylvania
agriculture,” he concluded.