Spraying

Spraying chemical can be a tricky game. There are so many different variables, that it can be hard to get it right. In this article we'll go over spraying terms that you must know to be on top of your spraying game.

1. Spray Drift - This happens when chemical drifts off-target unintentionally during application. It can have negative consequences such as contamination of other crops that the chemical may land on. Learn how to reduce spray drift while spraying. 
2. Droplet Size - The size of the droplets released from your spray nozzles. Droplet size is usually measured in microns.
3. Drag - The force on the liquid emitted from the nozzle (opposite to the gravitational force) caused by air resistance.
4. Canopy - The cover of crop that is above ground formed by the individual plants.
5. Pressure - The pressure at which the liquid is ejected from the nozzle or spray gun.
6. Post-Emergent Application - This means applying the chemical to the weed after the weed has already germinated.
7. Pre-Emergent Application - This means applying the chemical before the weed has germinated to prevent from popping up at all.
8. Evaporation - The rate at which the spray evaporates. Smaller droplets have a greater surface area and therefore are likely to evaporate faster.
9. Chemical Residue - Traces of a chemical that are remaining on a treated product after some time. It can also appear on products that have been exposed to chemical (without being directly sprayed).
10. Boom Height - Is the distance your boom is from the crop where you are applying chemical.
11. Pesticide - A substance used for destroying insects or other organisms harmful to cultivated plants or to animals.
12. Fungicide - A chemical that destroys fungus.
13. Penetration - The amount of chemical you spray that actually lands and remains on your target.

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14. Insecticide - A substance used for killing insects.
15. Coverage - The amount of your target that will be covered by your chemical from a specific spray nozzle or spray boom.
16. Application rate - The spray volume or quantity of liquid applied to your target per unit area.
17. Efficacy - The effectiveness of your spraying effort on the area you are targeting.
18. Spraying speed - The speed you are travelling when you apply your chemical.
19. Flow Rate: GPM - The rate of flow or volume of liquid passing through your nozzles usually measured in time. The common measurement is GPM (gallons per minute).
20. Sprayer Calibration: The process of adjusting or aligning your sprayer components to ensure that your sprayer delivers the correct/desired volume per area when you apply chemical. Learn how to calibrate your sprayer.
21. Buffer Zone - An area located between a certified production operation (such as windbreaks or a diversion ditch) and an adjacent land area that is not maintained under organic management (in other words, is using chemicals that may be harmful to the organic operation). This is to prevent the chemicals from effecting the other land areas.
22. Overlapping - When you are spraying a field or pasture and two passes of spraying overlap each other resulting in more chemical being applied to certain sections than others.
23. Inversions (inversion layer): A layer of the atmosphere in which air temperature increases with height. This is inverting the normal decrease of air temperature with height. Strong inversions can negatively affect your spraying by causing smaller particles to float in the air and drift with the wind.
24. Contamination - When chemical spray drifts off-target, landing on crop or stock resulting in damage.
25. Custom Application - A hired service by a custom applicator who makes sure the spray equipment is working correctly and applies pesticides or fertilizer in fields.
26. Yield - The result your crop produces. Managing weeds can preserve your crop yield.
27. Spray Pattern - The shape of the fluid released from your nozzles or spray gun. This varies with different nozzles. Certain spray patterns are better for certain applications.
28. Atomize - To convert a substance into very fine particles or droplets. Certain spray nozzles and spray guns have an atomizing feature that creates a soft circular mist for even coverage.
29. Dilution - Mixing your chemical with water to make it weaker in force. This will be done to get the right dosage for your plants. It is important to read the label on your chemical to get this right.
30. Air Induction - Drawing air in to the spray nozzle, mixing it with the spray liquid. There are specific air induction nozzles you can purchase. The purpose of these nozzles is to reduce spray drift.
31. Boom Priming - Flushing out water or previous spray mix from the boom and filling the lines with the new product. This is important to do before spraying your new product for proper results.
32. Delta T - The difference between two temperatures (calculated by subtracting the wet bulb temperature from the dry bulb temperature). It is a good indicator for acceptable spraying conditions. You generally want to spray when that number is between 2 and 10.
33. Deviation - The difference in flow rates between different nozzles on your boom. A deviation of more than 10% between nozzles can cause inaccurate spraying
34. Nozzle Spacing - The width of the spaces between each nozzle on your spray boom.
35. Band Width - The width of the section of spray coming from one nozzle when it hits the target. Adjusting the height of your nozzle (or boom) while spraying will affect the band width.
36. Water Volume - The amount of water applied (per hectare). This is closely related to the concentration of your chemical spray.
37. Spray Concentration - The percentage of chemical in your spray mix. This is closely related to water volume.
38. Turbulence - When spraying at higher speeds may cause turbulence in the air flow. This makes it more likely for small droplets to get carried away in the drift.
39. Uptake - The absorption of chemical into the plant after it is applied.

(Did we miss an important spraying term you think should be on the list? Add it in the comments below. We will add it to the list.)

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