A2B-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 22, 2003 Penn State Cooperative Extension Capitol Region Dairy Team SPRAYER CALIBRATION Del Yoight Capitol Region Extension Agronomy Agent, Lebanon Being with cooperative exten sion for 10 years, I have had the pleasure of calibrating numerous sprayers. I have calibrated any thing from mules pulling a spray er to small backpack sprayers. The most common problem I encountered with sprayers is im proper nozzles, or nozzles not matching the sprayer. Some ex tension agents in Oregon found 86 percent of the sprayers cali brated by agents to be in need of adjustment, mostly because of failed spray nozzles. In many cases where pesticides fail, the sprayer is the main issue. One farm had repeat failures of a product, and a simple boom height adjustment resulted in no more problems. Here are some brief pointers in the proper calibration of spray ers. A fact sheet on “Calibration of Sprayers” is available at your local extension office. If you need specific assistance, do not hesi tate to call me or a local agent or crop consultant for help. Precalibration 1. Pesticides are dangerous. Wear rubber gloves and coveralls to complete this operation. 2. Take all nozzles and screen devices off sprayer (this includes the agitation nozzles inside the tank) and clean in soapy solution. 3. With nozzles off, run water through the whole system. 4. Check all parts for cracks. Pay attention to hoses and re place damaged hoses as needed. 5. Consider low drift nozzle re placement. Standard flats will lose 25 percent of spray to drift able fines while new air induction nozzles will lose only 1 percent to driftable fines. 6. Be sure that screens, wash ers, and tips are replaced in each of the nozzle bodies. A missed screen can result in a 25 percent overspray for that nozzle. Calibration (This is the simple form and is highly accurate): 1. Measure spacing of nozzles and refer to your chart for the course length. 2. Measure off the course length on a typical soil surface you plan to operate the sprayer. Use bright colored markers to mark the ends. 3. Fill the sprayer halfway with water and hook to the tractor or mules you plan to use to spray with. Spring Holstein Show Set HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) The Pennsylvania Hol stein Association’s 50th Annual Spring Show will take place at the Farm Show Building, Harris burg, on Friday, March 28. More than 200 head have been entered in the Spring Show. Alta Mae Core from Salvisa, Ky., will be the judge for this year’s event. 4. Travel at a speed you are comfortable spraying at and op erate the tractor and sprayer to gether without the pump running between the course flags. 5. Use a timepiece to de termine how long it takes to run the course. Do this three times to gain an average speed in seconds. 6. With the sprayer on a level surface, turn pump on and begin spraying in place. Adjust pres sure regulator to desired output. Start at 40 psi. 7. Collect with a device that reads ounces for the same time it took to run the course. 8. Ounces equals gallons per acre. Monitoring 1. For new sprayers and at least once per year, all nozzles should be checked for even out put. Either catch water for a set amount of time or use a flow meter to determine the output of each nozzle. On rate-controlled devices, this is the most crucial part of the calibration. 2. If a single nozzle is out of flow with the others by 10 per cent, replace the nozzle. This can occur with brand-new nozzles, so it will need to be done whether old or new. 3. If error in rate is less than 10 percent, change pressure. If error in rate is greater than 10 percent but less than 25 percent, change ground speed. If error in rate is greater than 25 percent, change nozzle size. 4. Pressure must be increased 4 times to double sprayer output. 5. Twice the speed equals one half the output. 6. If you plan to use other than water for a carrier, you will need to adjust the volume of water up to compensate for the differences in the density of the carrier. For instance, liquid nitrogen weighs 11 pounds versus water at 8 pounds so if the desired output is 20 gallons per acre of UAN then the calibration with water would be about 22 gallons of water. Spray rate controls will require you to enter the correct conver sion factors which are contained in many sources of spray nozzles and user guides. On a typical 100-acre farm, proper calibration can save $5OO to $l,OOO annually by preventing overapplication, which reduces the amount of pesticide in the en vironment and ensures proper application rates for efficient per formance from a given product. The show will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the Farm Show Building Large Arena. This is an excellent opportuni ty to see some of the best cattle in the country owned by Pennsylva nia Holstein members. Holstein enthusiasts are welcome to share in the fun and excitement of the Spring Show in Harrisburg on March 28. Pa. Ayrshire Breeders To Mee BEDFORD (Bedford Co.) The Pennsylvania Ayrshire Breeders Association’s annual spring convention is set to take place at the Best Western in Bed ford April 25 and 26. The convention will include a banquet at 6 p.m. Friday evening, April 25. The meal will be pre ceded at 5:30 by introduction of the Pennsylvania Ayrshire Prin cess contestants. Activities fol lowing the banquet include crowning of the new princess, Hall of Fame award presentation, youth awards, and the Anything Goes Auction. Saturday events include the spring meeting, from 9-11 a.m. and the Ayrshire calf and heifer sale at 1:30 p.m. The sale committee is looking for quality calf and heifer con signments for the sale. Contact Shawn Hemley at (717) 865-6782 or Dale Maulfair at (717) 865-6439 if you have an animal you wish to consign. Youth may enter the following contests: • Ayrshire Princess Contest, ages 16-21; • Ayrshire Maid, ages 8 to 15; • Milk Production Awards, for Ayrshire cow who completed 305-day lactation in 2002; • Scrapbook Contest, in four age categories; and • Pennsylvania Outstanding Youth Award. Youth may contact Barb Rader at (724) 789-7413 for de tails and forms. Cost for the Friday evening Emmaus Farmers’ Market Meeting Set EMMAUS (Lehigh Co.) The Friends of the Emmaus Farmers’ Market (FEFM), a group of local residents and businesses, is host ing its first farmers’ meeting to provide information and answer questions about the new down town Emmaus Farmers’ Market. The FEFM is seeking a diverse mix of local farm products, from fresh peaches and heirloom vege tables to perennials, pastured poultry, pickled beets, baked goods, goat cheese, and honey. All farmers and producers are welcome to attend this kick-off meeting on Monday, March 31 at 7 p.m. at the Emmaus Borough Hall, 28 S. 4th St., Emmaus. The Emmaus Farmers’ Market will be operating during the 2003 season as an open-air, producer based market in the parking lot of Keystone Savings Bank, 235 Main Street, Emmaus. This location is in the heart of an active residential and com mercial shopping district with ex cellent frontage on a major road way and adequate customer parking. Representatives from the Friends of the Emmaus Farmers’ Market, the Emmaus Main Street Program, the Borough of Em maus, and the Lehigh County Cooperative Extension will ad dress topics such as: season start and end dates, market day and time, promotions, and insurance. Keith Hausman from the Coo persburg farmers’ market and Brian Moyer from the Teleford farmers’ market will be on hand to share their experiences. To rsvp or for further informa tion, please call (610) 965-6279 or (610) 391-9840. Nome Address Phone Number attending the Meal on Friday, April 25, 2003 @ 6 00 pm Adults age 12 and up @ $ll 00 Children age 5-12 @ss 50 Children age 4 and under @ $3 00 Please enclose a check made payable to PA Ayrshire Breeders Association. Meal reservations are non refundable Mail to. Amy Templm 93 Orchard Road Hamburg, PA 19526 banquet is $ll for ages 12 and above, $5.50 for ages 5-12, and $3 for children 4 and under. Room reservations are due by March 28. Call the Best Western at (814) 623-9600 to reserve a room. 20(13 I’l NNSV IA VM\ HOI SI lIN VSSCK I\ I lON (AU-NDAKO* EUNTS 11 OOA M HEM VIEW 100 SALE HEM VIEW HOLSTEIN FARM WVRRCN P\ MARCH 27 0 IDA M PA HOLSTEIN SPRING SHOW FARM SHOW 8111 l DING HARRISBURG PA MARCH 28 11 OOA M DV( (jREEN & GOLD SPRING SPEC 1A( ULAR SALE DELAWARE VALLEY COLLEGE DOYLESTOWN PA MARCH 29 7 00PM M WESTERN PA SPRING SPEC T AC ULAR SALE MERCER C OUNTY 4-H PARK MERC ER PA APRIL 11 7 00PM SOUTHWEST SENSATION SALE FAYETTE COUNTS FAIRC,ROUNDS UNIONTOWN PA APRIL 10 11 OOA M PA HOI STEIN HEIFER SALE PA HOLSTEIN FARM MIDDLETOWN PA APRIL 21 PA HOLSTEIN ASSOCIATION SUMMER PIC NIC AND AC Tl\ I TIE ALTOONA, PA JULY n 10 OOA M SOU THWEST CHAMPIONSHIP SHOW FAIRGROUNDS UNIONTOWN PA JULY 26 9 IDA M NORT HWESI C HAMPIONSHIP SHOW FAIRGROUNDS NEWCASTLE PA AUGUST I 9 TOA M SOUTH CENTRAL CHAMPIONSHIP SHOW lAIRGROUNDS SHIPPENSBURG PA AUCiI IST 9 11 OOA M WARREN COUNTY HOLSTEIN SALE FAIRGROUNDS PITTSFIELD PA AUGUST 16 ft OOP M C ENTRAL CHAMPIONSHIP SHOW FAIRGROUNDS HUNTINGDON PA AUGUST 16 9 30A M SOI TUFAS I CIIAMPIONSHIP SHOW' FAIRGROUNDS I LBANON P\ M'GIISI :n 11 00A M PA HOLS I E-IN HEIFER SM 1 PA HOLST UN FARM MIDDItIOWN PA AUGUST 20 0 00AM PAFAI I ( II WIPIONSHIP SHOW FARM SHOW B 1 ILDING HARRISBI>R(. P\ SI ITFMBFR ’T SE PTLMBE R2l 2S F \SILRN N MIOMI HOI SI EIN SHOW FARM SHOW 131 11 DING 11 ARKISBI RG PA SEPTEMBER’! 7 (HIP M 1 ASTERN FLIIF A 1 1 BREFI) SAi P r \rm show Bun dim. harrisbi rc. pa Lancaster Farming Check out our Website! www.lancasterfarmi Spring Convention 2003 Meal Reservation Due by March 28. 2003 Total amount enclosed Banquet reservations are < due by March 28. Clip and si form to Amy Templin. Call at (610) 323-9595 with questioi The Best Western is locate* Exit 146 A off the Pennsylvc Turnpike.
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