Tom Wolf Agrimetrix Research & Training, SK

@nozzle_guy

Jason Deveau OMAFRA, ON @spray_guy

Learning to Spray …again complying with new dicamba & 2,4-D choline labels

SWAC 2016 ●

Old is new again

Monsanto’s Xtend: glypho + dicamba (VaporGrip)

*BASF’s Engenia: dicamba

Dow’s Enlist Duo: glyphosate + 2,4-D choline

2,4-D

Dicamba

Monsanto’s XtendiMax: dicamba (VaporGrip)

Dicamba

2,4-D

*submitted to PMRA for registration

What’s the big deal?

• Synthetic auxins can cause a lot of damage when there

is off-target movement (from drift, vapour & contaminated sprayers)

• New traits means 2,4-D and

dicamba will be sprayed by:

• more producers,

• on more acreage,

• and because of post-

emergent applications,

later in the season

• Plus, low-cost, generic and

more volatile chemistries (e.g.

2,4-D amine or ester) may be

(inadvisably) substituted https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/id/id-453-w.pdf

Photo source Monsanto demo plots: Chatham, Ontario

Powerful herbicides

• Even trace amounts

have big impacts

• These are rinses with

water, sprayed over

conventional soybeans

Choline chemisty

= low volatility

• Humidomes

(lab) and field

work indicate

low volatility

Ima

ge

sou

rce:

Do

w (

20

16

)

Colex-D formulation

= low drift

• Dow Agro-

Sciences

research farm

in Fowler ON,

in 4 mph winds

• Low-drift

formulation

claim 75% less

physical drift

Ima

ge

sou

rce:

Do

w (

20

16

)

Gov’t, media and industry: Renewed focus on stewardship

• This is why there is more attention than ever before on spray

drift and sprayer settings

Image source: Monsanto (2014)

XC

1) Nozzle selection (>Coarse)

2) Boom height (<24 inches)

3) Wind direction & speed (<15 mph)

4) Application volume (15 g/ac or greater)

5) Observe buffer zones & nearby sensitive crops

6) Greater attention to sprayer cleanout

Renewed focus on stewardship

• BASF founded this academy comprised of

independent application tech specialists

• There are six major tenants:

What should the producer / custom applicator do?

• Droplet size is a component

in how the PMRA determines

‘risk’ and establishes buffer

zones

• And, because the labels

specify, it’s the law

• To reduce the potential for unhappy surprises, comply with

the label

• Central to compliance is knowing the size of the droplets

coming out of your sprayer

Droplet size and the label: Enlist Duo

coarse to extremely coarse spray

Droplet size and the label:

XtendiMax (same as Banvel II)

extremely coarse to ultra coarse

Droplet size and the label: Engenia

extremely coarse to ultra coarse

Submitted to PMRA for registration Label not yet finalised

One nozzle makes many droplet sizes

• A single nozzle

produces many

droplets, and

they’re not

uniform in size

• The median

droplet size

changes with

pressure

• Rate controllers adjust pressure according to travel speed

Spray quality describes droplet size(s)

“Spray Quality” describes the range

of droplet sizes in spray compared to

standardized reference nozzles

Spray quality categories

ASABE 572.1 defined standardized categories for spray quality

based on the droplet size range, & their number relative to volume

ISO flat fan rates for water at 40 psi

• Nozzle colour

does not

indicate spray

quality

• Nozzle colour

indicates rate

• So how do

you figure out

spray quality?

How to determine your spray quality

1. ID the nozzles on the sprayer

2. Match the nozzle to published spray quality data

3. ID the expected pressures for expected travel

speed range and water volume

Hardi Flat Fan

• Type, Material, Flow Rate, Angle (…except Deere)

• Hardi

• (F) = Flat fan

• (03 & blue colour) = 0.3 gpm @ 40 psi

• (110) = 110° fan angle

• Catalogue gives data

TeeJet AI TwinFan

• ID may be hidden under cap

• Note AI spray quality vs. conventional

• Some tips can be tougher to ID…

GreenLeaf (Agrotop) TurboDrop Asymmetrical

Flat Fan (TADF)

TurboDrop Venturi TeeJet VisiFlo SprayMax XR

GreenLeaf (Agrotop) TurboDrop Asymmetrical

Flat Fan (TADF)

• Venturi metres pressure and flow, so it dictates overall rate

• Droplet size is determined by the tips

• Venturi rate is generally ½ combined rate of the two tips

Venturi (04) Fan (05) Fan (03)

= ( ) ÷ 2 +

GreenLeaf (Agrotop) TurboDrop Asymmetrical

Flat Fan (TADF)

http://www.greenleaftech.com/dynamic.php?pg=Choosing_the_Right_Nozzle/Nozzle_Calculator

• Thankfully, you can just look up

the whole combo in the catalogue

• Don’t have a catalogue?

Go online to the manufacturer’s website

GreenLeaf (Agrotop) TurboDrop Asymmetrical

Flat Fan (TADF)

Hypro Guardian Flatfan

• Some nozzle/cap combos print the ID

in ink

• While rare, some catalogues don’t

specify spray quality… so what to do?

Smartphone nozzle wizards and calculators

• As they say, “there’s an app for that”

Smartphone nozzle wizards and calculators

• This app

has every

flat fan

typically

used in

Canada

• Search

spray

quality by

nozzle, or

nozzle by

spray

quality!

• Identify your nozzles

• Look up the recommended

pressure range of your nozzle

• Determine the spray quality

over the pressure range

• Identify the travel speeds at

which you will meet the label

spray quality requirements

Homework

For once, Calvin is mistaken.

Dr. Tom Wolf

@nozzle_guy

Dr. Jason Deveau

@spray_guy

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