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\
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FARM SHOW 131 11 DING 11 ARKISBI RG PA
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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.