AGR524 Calibration
AGR524 Calibration
AGR524 Calibration
Knapsack Application
Variables
• Worker himself /herself
• Pumping rhythm, f requency, pressure change resulting in
change in f low change/rate
• Walking speed
• Lance height af f ecting spray swath width
• Nozzle tampering, adjustable nozzles
• Dirty water, blockage
• High pressure resulting in f ine drops & drif t, depending on
weather conditions
• Low pressure resulting in large drops that bounce and can be
lost via run of f .
Calibration of Sprayer
• the mathematical determination of the amount of chemical and
spray solution to cover a specif ic area.
• Proper calibration of herbicide application equipment is important f or
accurate application rate f or:
– Saf ety
– Economical reason
– Ef f ective weed control
– to avoid environmental contamination
• An understanding of how a sprayer operates and especially the
f actors inf luencing the amount of liquid applied is important in getting
a sprayer set up f or a specif ic job.
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Important Factors
• Walking Speed
– walking speed at a normal
pace
• Spray Width or Swath
– width of the sprayer band
– influenced by height of the
nozzle from the target
• Flow Rate
– nozzle output
– affected by pressure
S
p
r
a
y
e Nozzle height (h)
r
Spray
angle
Swath (w)
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ii) Dip nozzle into bucket/jar and spray water into this
container for precisely one minute.
iii) When one minute has elapsed, mark the ending point with
another stake and measure the distance between the staring
and ending points. Repeat this action three times
to obtain average walking speed.
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Calculation of Quantity
of Herbicide
• Factors must be known:
– recommended rate in kg or L of a.i. per ha
– % a.i. in the commercial formulation
– spray volume per ha
– area to be treated
Example
• Given:
– recommended rate: 15 g a.i./ha
– spray volume: 450 L/ha (10,000 m 2)
– the commercial formulation (DF) contains 20% a.i.
– area to be treated is 2.5 ha (25,000 m 2)
• Problems:
– What is the amount of commercial formulation
required to treat the 2.5 ha area?
– What is the amount of formulation needed per
sprayer load, if one is going to use a 18L sprayer?
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Answer
Commercial f ormulation required f or 2.5 ha
= rate (g a.i./ha) X area to be treated (ha)
% a.i.
= 15 X 2.5
0.20
= 187.5 g