Need some sprayer help

I'm going to post the calibration sheet on how our sprayer is set up. Since I'm doing most of the spray work on our places now, I want a little better understanding of how this thing is set up and how to use it...correctly without wasting a lot of spray ($$$).
I've got some land that is mostly pasture and am looking to kill a portion if it with roundup. I also have several acres of mycogen sunflowers I will be spraying soon and want to know what chemical and how much to put per care and per gallon of water based on this calibration sheet.

I also have some peradovik sunflowers. I've been told I could spray with poast and read to spray select on them. How heavy can I spray them and control the grass that is in them??

Here u go buddy

The "keys" to sprayer calibration is being able to be consistent with your ground speed and knowing how many gallons per acre, at that ground speed, your sprayer puts out.

An easy calibration for us plotters, is merely measuring off a 1/4 acre or 1/2 acre or 1 acre and spray that with just water to begin with, keeping your speed as constant as possible.

So (as indicated by Kris), you will know that running at "x" mph, your sprayer (with the sprayer tips you have in there now; if you change tips, you need to do that all over again) will apply "x" number of gallons per acre.

As in a previous sunflower post, for grass, page 24 http://www.pestrong.com/file/1299-Arrow_2EC_LABEL you can apply 6-16 ounces of clethodim per acre, along with 1 quart per acre of crop oil.

So, if you travel at 7 mph and you apply 25 gallons of water per acre and your sprayer holds 25 gallons, you'll put 6 -16 ounces of clethodim and one quart of crop oil in the tank and then go spray. I shoot for 10 ounces of clethodim per acre.

That is my sprayer calibration sheet that Kris posted.

Thanks for posting that, kris

The consensus is, that Clethodim is more effective to use than Poast (Sethoxydim)

The same rule applies to spraying with glyphosate. If you want to spray with 2 quarts/acre of glyphosate, then add that to your 25 gallon tank and go spray at 7 mph.

fountain said:

That is my sprayer calibration sheet that Kris posted.

Thanks for posting that, kris

Click to expand...

You're in good shape, then

Can ya help me break that down as to what all it tells ya. I know that it sounds dumb, and I think i have it, but I want to make sure I understand and I don't waste chemical and get enough chemical out to do the job.

If I'm reading it correct, it shows we spray about 19 gallons per acre. I'm just wanting to make sure I understand how to mix it all per gallon of water correctly

Ok, so run the tractor in 2nd gear at 2000 rpm (ground speed) and the sprayer pressure at 33 psi (there will be an adjustable pressure gage on the sprayer). Under those 2 conditions, with the sprayer tips that are installed on the sprayer, you will put down 20 gallons to the acre of water, of whatever mix you desire. That's your application rate.

Looking at page 54, for clethodim (Arrow 2EC), it says to use a minimum of 15 gallons per acre of water, so you're good! You don't need to change anything. http://www.pestrong.com/file/1299-Arrow_2EC_LABEL

Now, your tank holds 150 gallons, which you can do 7.5 acres. Depending on your crop you're applying this to and if you want to use a full tank (150 gallons), you will add between 6 and 16 ounces of clethodim per acre. I use 10 ounces, so lets pretend that you use that, so in a full tank (7.5 acres), you put in (7.5 x 10 ounces) 75 ounces of clethodim, along with (7.5 x 1 quart) 7.5 quarts of crop oil.

That takes care of your clethodim to kill grasses, but not broad leaf weeds. If you are only going to spray 3.75 acres, you cut everything in 1/2, so 37.5 ounces of clethodim and 3.75 quarts of crop oil.

Of course, make sure everything is mixed in the tank before you start to apply it.

Now, the first suggestion I have, before you add any chemicals, is to turn the sprayer on and make whatever adjustments to the pressure gage you need and check to make sure the spray is coming out of each tip, in a fan pattern. Make sure each tip is working and you might have to adjust the height of the spray bar, to make sure you are covering all the plants in the plot. Too low and you will end up with tiger stripes in the field, where the sprayer did not cover any of the plants. Too high can be another issue, but less of a problem.

Does this make sense?

Read all the label instructions, first, as well, for your safety.

So, for your glyphosate and 2,4D mix (if you choose to add that), you know your application rate of 20 gallons to the acre. On page 7 it says to use between 3 and 40 gallons per acre of water, so you're good! http://www.cropsmart.net/Products/Glyphosate/CropSmart 41 Plus Label.pdf

Now, again on a full tank, which will cover 7.5 acres, you will add 15 quarts of glyphosate and 15 quarts of 2,4d. I am using a rate of 2 quarts per acre for each.

Test with just water first, to make sure everything is doing what it is supposed to do .... read all the instruction and mix before applying.

And probably the first thing you should do, is make sure you know how the sprayer operates and take a couple of the tips apart, because sometimes crude gets in them and stops working, in which case you have to take them apart and clean them.

Bring a used tooth brush with you and a fine piece of wire.

Another hint, is don't use ditch or pond water if you can help it and when adding water, put an old pair of panty hose over the nozzle, to make sure you're not adding crude.

Water with dirt in it can make glyphosate less effective.

Read over doomtrp's sticky! http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=864492

Wash everything out and run lots of clean water thru the sprayer when you're done. Cleaning the tips when you're done, will help make sure when you go to use it next time, you're ready to run

Oh, and the sprayer probably has some filter screens on it. Learn where they are, pull them out and make sure they are clean before you add any chemicals, just to be sure.

Also, with any an all farm equipment, stuff happens. Don't be afraid to turn around on the tractor and look to make sure each nozzle is still spraying. Do that regularly, just so you know when and where you have a problem and can go back over it.

Not the best example of spray pattern, but ......

Thank you for the help.

Making sure I have this correct, I have roughly 4 acres of sunflowers to spray with cadre. I have 16 oz of cadre to spray. That will take 80 gallons of water with how my sprayer is calibrated, correct?

The label http://www.cdms.net/ldat/ld337003.pdf Read and pay attention to the mixing and application instructions. You have to add an adjuvant or crop oil, along with the 4 ounces of Cadre per acre. Do you have that?

So, 4 acres x 4 ounces/acre = 16 ounces and 4 x 20 gallons of water.

Did someone just give you these chemicals to apply or did you buy them?

Are you comfortable using this sprayer? Who used it before and can they run through all this with you before you start? My suggestion is you do a run over 1 acre, with just water, till you get comfortable with all this equipment. If someone else can give you some knowledgeable advice about handling all these chemicals, there, would make me feel more comfortable. If you don't feel comfortable doing this, wait till someone who can come down there and go thru this all with you one time.

My apologies, but it's just my protective nature.

Ok...im back again! I got the sunflowers sprayed and all is good.

Now for some round up. How much round up do you put per acre? This is primarily grasses on about 1.5 acres

32oz unless its power max then its 22oz Ac.

fountain said:

Ok...im back again! I got the sunflowers sprayed and all is good.

Now for some round up. How much round up do you put per acre? This is primarily grasses on about 1.5 acres

Click to expand...

I know this is going to sound like an a-hole comment, but please don't take it like that...

Learn how to read the chemical label. It will help you tremendously in the future. Different chemicals have different application rates for different size and types of weeds. Learning how to pick it out of the application chart on the label if you end up out in a field somewhere and realize that the stuff has grown 6" since someone recommended an application rate online -- you can figure it out on the fly. Also, there is good info in the label as to potential set-backs from runoff areas, application temperature restrictions/suggestions, tank mix recipes, etc. Knowing how to pick that stuff out of the label will save you headache in the future. Unfortunately, the first part of the label is usually legal jargon that makes you think the label is going to be like reading Greek, but once you get to the application rates, etc. it will start making better sense.

Again, I don't mean that to come across as "Stop asking questions and just read the gall darn label!!" I don't mean it like that at all. I seriously mean that as a suggestion to help you out.

I have a boom less nozzle and it is easy to figure. They have a chart and it says at psi x it puts out this many gpa at this speed.

One thing I noticed and am learning to use my sprayer also. The first time I sprayed I used a higher pressure and speed. the spray was almost a mist....It killed spotty. I figured mine worked better when I reduced my pressure but also reduced my speed so I got a spray that was heavier and didnt drift. Seemed to kill a lot better. My sprayer is a smaller 55 gallon Fimco.