How to Select the Right Nozzles for Your Chemical Sprayer

Select-the-right-spray-nozzle-for-your-sprayer

Which nozzles you use on your sprayer is one of the most important factors you need to consider before taking your sprayer to the field. The last thing you want to do is to use the wrong nozzle for the job, and have to go back and spray the field a second time. In this blog, I'll take you through the ins and outs of spray nozzles so you will always know which nozzle is right for the job. There are a lot of different brands out there, but for this blog I will be focusing on TeeJet nozzles.

Why the Right Nozzle Matters

Whether you are spraying crops or weeds, the right nozzle is crucial for effective results. If you use the wrong nozzle, you may apply too little or too much chemical to your crops. A poorly selected or worn-out nozzle will deliver an uneven spray pattern that requires a second application. On the other hand, the right spray tip delivers the ideal amount of chemical where and when you want it.

Droplet Size Is Important

Droplet size varies from very fine to very course. As pressure in your sprayer increases, droplet size decreases. The finest droplets work well for delivering contact chemicals that need to be retained on leaves. Medium sized droplets are most commonly used, and work best for delivering systemic chemicals such as insecticides and fungicides. The coarsest droplets are typically used to deliver residual herbicides or to lessen the chance of spray drift.

Pro tip: While course droplets do reduce spray drift they can bounce and therefore not end up on the weed. Keep this in mind.

Which Type of Spray Nozzle Should You Pick?

Venturi Air Induction Nozzle

The Venturi Air Induction nozzle is also known as an AI nozzle, and features two orifices or openings. The pre-orifice regulates the flow of liquid chemical through the nozzle. The somewhat larger exit orifice determines the spray pattern. An venturi pulls air into the nozzle body where it mixes with water. At a low pressure, the mixture of water and air produces an air-filled spray pattern made up of coarse droplets.

AI nozzles sustain good coverage and are ideal for drift reduction. Most AI nozzles spray in a wide angle flat fan or twin flat fan spray pattern. Some AI nozzles require operation pressure of 30 to 100 PSI for best performance, although some newer nozzles are intended to operate at pressures as low as 15 PSI. Most often, AI nozzles are used for broadcast spraying of:

Pre-emergence herbicides
Post-emergence herbicides
Fungicides

Venturi Air Induction nozzles come in various forms including:

Venturi Air Induction Nozzle
Twin Spray Venturi Air Induction Nozzle
Asymmetric Twin Spray Venturi Air Induction Nozzle

Related: Field Boss® UTV Sprayer

Extended Range Flat Fan Nozzle

The extended range flat fan nozzle is a versatile nozzle that allows you to spray chemical at a variety of pressures. With this nozzle, you can reduce drift by spraying at a lower pressure with a higher flow rate, while spraying at a high pressure will improve leaf coverage.

Using this nozzle at a low pressure with a high flow rate will produce droplets that will be more resistant to drift. Any pressure above 30-40 PSI will produce a fine droplet that is more likely to drift.

Extended range flat fan nozzles are most often used for spraying contact products such as:

Herbicides
Insecticides
Fungicides

Pro tip: Extended range flat fan nozzles should be placed so patterns overlap a minimum of 30%
on each spray pattern edge.

Pre-orifice-flat-fan-nozzle

Pre-orifice Flat Fan Nozzle

Pre-orifice flat fan nozzles produce a larger droplet than the standard flat fan nozzle by reducing the internal pressure. The pre-orifice inside the nozzle limits the amount of liquid that enters the nozzle. This produces a drop in pressure through the nozzle tip.

Pre-orifice flat fan nozzles operate best at pressures from 15 - 90 PSI. These nozzles should be mounted with a 30% overlap in each spray pattern. This pre-orifice flat fan version is most commonly used for spraying post-emergence chemicals and is also available in plug-resistant flooding models.

Pre-orifice flat fan nozzles are best for addressing weed issues, including:

Amazon sprangletop
Broadleaf signalgrass
California brome
Cheatgrass
Foxtail millet
Grass weeds
Itchgrass
Junglerice
Quackgrass
Ripgut brome
Shattercane
Southern crabgrass
Southwestern cupgrass
Volunteer corn
Volunteer oat
Volunteer sorghum
Wild oat

Nozzle Colors

The color of a spray nozzle represents the GPM rate the nozzle outputs at 40 PSI. All nozzles of a certain color, no matter the brand, will spray at a coordinating GPM when operated at 40 PSI. You can check out the full list of nozzles and their spray capacities here.

It is also important to note that you should always use the same nozzles together. In other words, do not mix and match different nozzles, because this will give you a very uneven spray pattern. Depending on the placement of the various nozzles, it may also cause damage to the nozzles, boom or sprayer.

Availability

All TeeJet nozzles are available through dealerships and distributors. Finding your nearest dealer is easy; simply enter your zip code on the TeeJet dealer locator.

I hope you have found this post useful and now have a clearer idea of which nozzle you need for your spraying application. For more helpful info about chemical sprayers and spraying, visit our YouTube channel or subscribe to our blog. To shop a variety of quality sprayers, visit our sprayers page. You also can find your local dealer on our website.

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