GCTV16 - Spray Application Workshop
Narrator: Tony Crowley One of the biggest challenges for boom spray
operators is getting spray droplets to hit their target and when its dry and dusty its
even harder.
So when you get a good turnout like this it's a fair indication a lot of grain growers would
like to know how to get better spray deposition.
And what better way to find out then to hear it from a spray specialist.
Bill Gordon: Spray Application Specialist What we were focusing on is not just what
they currently do but ways of looking at what the sprays are doing, where its landing particularly
in the standing stubble.
That's what we focussed on today, is how to measure it and also how to change the machine
and maybe improve that control out in the paddock.
Narrator: Bill Gordon is contracted by GRDC to provide
training on spray application and drift management.
So with half a dozen different spray rigs and the help of some Mallee grain growers
and local agronomists, a workshop was run to look at spray issues.
Jaron Bennett: Guys have been noticing a decline in their
spray application and probably been brought about a little bit by SP sprayers, self propelled
sprayers in the region, so just noticing a bit of a decline in our application efficacy
and so we really jumped at the change to get Bill along.
Narrator: After covering the basics in the shed, the
paddock was the next stop.
By using water sensitive cards placed on the wheel tracks as well as in and between stubble
rows the length of the boom, growers were able to see the variation in spray deposition.
Bill Gordon: So if you've got it right out on the boom
in terms of droplet size and volume that's a great indicator.
Then when we come in and look at the wheel tracks at what's happening around the tyres
and centre of the machine sometimes we can see some differences which we might be able
to improve with some of our knockdown products by adjusting where we put the spray or maybe
increasing nozzle size in some places.
Narrator: Getting the spray to hit where you want is
especially hard behind the wheels and it's made even more difficult when there's dust.
Bill Gordon: Most growers generally put an extra nozzle
or a larger nozzle behind the tyre but what we've seen today is that that's not always
enough particularly in the standing stubble adjacent to wheels.
I think most growers go on home with a tip that they might put a little more flow either
side of the tyre rather than just on the wheel based on what they've seen today.
Narrator: Different spray rigs, different nozzles, different
problems so how do you address everything in a half-day workshop.
If you can demonstrate how to look at the problem, problem solving becomes simpler when
you get back home.
Lyonel O'Shannasy: grain grower Manangatang VIC
We spend hundreds of thousand of dollars worth of chemical each year and we want to make
sure these chemicals are going where they're meant to be going and if we can improve our
efficiencies you know sleep better at night that's how it is I think.
Narrator: Summer fallow provided the example for this
workshop but the same techniques apply for assessing spray deposition before spraying
weeds in crop or applying fungicides or insecticides and these are the sort of things being including
in a Spray Application eBook Bill Gordon is co-ordinating.
Bill Gordon: We have gotten together the leading experts
in the country to all contribute towards I think its about 25 modules now on different
aspects of spraying and on the equipment as well and assessing deposition will be one
of those but we'll also be looking at the technical side of spraying.
Narrator: An eBook, more workshops and resources such
as fact sheets are all valuable tools.
And as spray application is a core practice in today's farming systems, providing such
tools is definitely a pro-active way to help grain growers adopt best practice.
Jaron Bennett: Spray application extension is quite important
and with Bill's extensive knowledge I think it's a great investment to make.