MAY 2001
Choosing the right nozzle for your sprayer can be a challenge, and almost every farmer or spray contractor would agree! Nozzles are arguably the most important part of your sprayer. They determine to a large degree the effectiveness of the chemical you are spraying, the overall satisfaction the applicator receives from an application and the amount of drift.
Choosing the wrong nozzle can have huge implications:
Application Rate
Incorrect application rate, you may kill something you were not intending to
Drift
Drift, you could allow spray drift to cross boundaries into another crop nearby
Uniformity
Uniformity of application, there could be areas you miss because of damaged or worn nozzles
The Right Nozzle
The good news is that there is a huge amount of useful information available to help you make the right choice. So, how do you make sure you are choosing the right nozzle for your application?
Ask Yourself These Questions:
What are you spraying?
Ie Herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, insecticides etc.
How are you spraying?
Broadcast? Banded? Directed? Mechanical air assisted?
What is your tolerance to drift?
In other words, how critical is that you don’t get any drift? If your answer is Yes to any of the below you may want to consider low drift nozzles:
Are you spraying near or alongside another crop?
Do the adjacent crops have different herbicide tolerant genetics and/or will spray drift result in crop damage?
Have you had complaints about drift in the past?
Will you be spraying near any residential areas?
What is the pressure range of the sprayer?
Always operate any nozzle in the middle of its recommended operating range for best performance
What is the boom height?
Lower boom heights are usually better as proper overlap of the nozzles is achieved. Lower boom heights reduce drift and improve coverage.
TTi use Teejet AIXR Air Induction nozzles on nearly all sprayers. Make sure your sprayer has the right nozzle before you head into the paddock next time top spray! For further information check out this helpful link:
