The ability to adjust a sprayers output configuration to adapt to conditions in the field and orchard allow a grower to realize serious results in terms of material savings and efficiency. Unfortunately, many sprayer systems are designed around outdated growing practices or don’t allow for the kind of simple adjustments that can help growers meet ever changing environmental conditions or capitalize on new growing practices that have occurred over the past decade or two.
According to Dennis Munckhof of Munckhof Manufacturing, growers who have upgraded their growing practices in terms of field and orchard setup would be wise to modernize the equipment they use as well by incorporating an adjustable tower sprayer into the mix.
Spraying any material is only effective when it hits its target, and any material that misses either through drift, evaporation or overspray is not only wasteful, it’s financially harmful to the grower, and environmentally irresponsible. Munckhof explains that the low drift tower – a horizontal blow-out system – is efficient and effective through two simple principles.
“First, you want to match the shape of your sprayer to the shape of what you’re trying to spray,” he says. “Second, you have to be able to adapt your spraying practices to the conditions at the time.”
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One size does not fit all - having a sprayer that matches your planting is crucial to an effective spray program
The low drift tower achieves these objectives through simple, yet precisely applied techniques: ideal droplet size, even distribution and best spray concentration levels.
It sounds simple enough, but conditions change, and the most efficient sprayers change with them – easily. If plants stayed the same size, weather patterns never shifted and temperature didn’t fluctuate, there would be no need for an adaptable system, but growers know better than anyone else that easily adapting to change is essential.
Adapting to the conditions at the time means having the ideal droplet size, and ideal delivery air speed. This is achieved though pressure, PTO RPM and the ability to adjust both independently.
“You need the control to be able to create the ideal droplet size and delivery air speed for the conditions in the field” he says. “Small droplets give exponentially better coverage than large ones. But make the droplets too small, and it becomes a fine mist that evaporates or drifts and never makes it to the plant”
For instance, halving the diameter of a single droplet will allow you to create 7 more droplets with the saved material, a huge amount of extra coverage, but a 10 degree temperature increase could evaporate 20 or 30%, of your material and increase drift by 10 feet or more. To find balance, adjustments to droplet size and delivery air speed must be independent.
The Munckhof system uses a diaphragm pump and pressure regulator that allows for adjustability of pressure independent of PTO RPM. Once the correct droplet size is achieved by adjusting the pressure, it’s time to deliver it into the canopy with the right amount of force.
“Too much force from the fan will send the spray straight through a light canopy, rather than stopping at the outer edge, causing a lot of wasted product,” Munckhof says. “Because you can adjust your fan RPM with the tower sprayer, the force of the delivery can be tailored to the density of your canopy and weather conditions, seriously reducing the waste.”
The tower has several nozzles which spray slightly upward, mirroring the shape of the plant and covering it with a near horizontal spray from each nozzle providing even coverage at ideal levels. Nozzles themselves can be adjusted to either of two different sized tips or turned off completely.
“Don’t spray what’s not there,” says Munckhof. “In vineyards, after pruning, there are areas that don’t need to be sprayed. With the tower, simply turn off the nozzles at those heights, and because you have already set your ideal pressure, there’s no need to recalibrate the sprayer, it’s all savings”
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Don’t spray what’s not there - Only placing spray material where it’s useful will get maximum results
In fact, the adjustability of the Munckhof tower allows for up to a 60 per cent reduction in material sprayed due to the accuracy of placement.
Ideal for trellised-type crops as well as modern orchard trees, the Munckhof tower sprayer allows growers what they need most in ever-changing conditions: control.
Contact Munckhof Manufacturing for more information.
250-498-4426