High-Tech Nozzles Provide Better Coverage for Farmer ~ Agri-Alternatives
Kris Wheeler, Agri-Alternatives, Nov/Dec 1996
Over the years, Jay Hardwick has earned a reputation as an innovative farmer. In 1995, Hardwick was selected as a "High Cotton Award Winner."
Forrest Laws of Delta Farm Press had this to say about Hardwick: "(He is) constantly looking for new ideas and new technology for improving the profitability of his 4,850-acre cotton, corn, peanut and wheat operation."
It was Hardwick's eye for innovation that led him to Greenleaf's TurboDrop Technology. The Newellton, La. farmer used TurboDrop Venturi nozzles this year for burndown, fungicide in peanuts, insecticide in cotton, and spot-spraying herbicides. "If it can help me reduce cost, be effective and deal with some of these environmentally sensitive issues, I'm all for it."
Hardwick pushes his equipment to the limit. He runs his John Deere Hi Cycles at 16-18 mph through his cotton fields so he can cover nearly 600 acres per day per sprayer. His 110/01 TurboDrop nozzles were run consistently at pressures between 40 and 90 PSI, with absolutely no drift problems.
The TurboDrop nozzle is designed to distribute crop protection products on the target, while minimizing drift and improving coverage.
Through the use of a venturi, the TurboDrop adds air to the spray droplets, roughly doubling droplet size and eliminating most of the fines that tend to drift and evaporate. The TurboDrop 110/015 Venturi nozzle produces drops of about 510 micron at 60 PSI, while the TeeJet 8002XR produces drops of about 270 micron at 40 PSI. The airfilled drops burst on the target surface, forming a broad coverage structure by spreading out on the surface.
The key for Hardwick was being able to get penetration and coverage with a larger, drift resistant droplet. "What was so amazing was that the droplet did penetrate the canopy more successfully than an ordinary Teejet XR," Hardwick says. (A conventional nozzle) even though it has a nice fine mist, really doesn't have good crop penetration when you look at the TurboDrop."
Hardwick says his applicators agree. "We're getting a lot better coverage with these tips." Because bollworms are scattered throughout the cotton plant, it is essential to get pesticide throughout the canopy to control the overall insect population.
"We're keeping those populations very narrowly defined so we're reducing (pesticide) amounts continually... at least by 20 percent.
The cost of the nozzles is recovered with the first spray.
"When we (compared) two checks, our counts were enormously different, almost 50 percent different," he says. "Right then I knew we were on the right track. The efficiency of getting into the canopy has had a marked difference on our insect population."
To date, Hardwick has spent about $525 on each of four sets of Greenleaf TurboDrop nozzles. He figures he's saved many times that amount by reducing costs, reducing downtime, and by spraying more efficiently.
Hardwick and his applicators say they experienced the following additional advantages with the TurboDrop nozzle.
Downtime, due to wind, was eliminated.