Spray to protect your crops
spray 1
Photo: geoff -thomas.com
Compiled by J Fuls (Pr Eng)
Malfunctioning equipment causes endless frustration, financial losses and takes the joy and pleasure out of farming. This month we look at the correct procedure to take good care of your sprayer. A preventative approach is much smarter than endless repairs.
We thank the ARC Institute for Agricultural Engineering in South Africa, who made this article available to the readers of ProAgri Zambia.
Taking care of your sprayer is very simple and the procedure can be simplified in a few easy steps:
Repair before it breaks
When something goes wrong, immediately stop spraying and repair the problem. When something small is wrong, it often is possible to repair it without any costs. But when something breaks, it will quite likely cost money to repair. Apart from that, your job will stand still while you wait for spare parts.
Your eyes can tell you if something is wrong. Look out for leaks, parts that do not fit well anymore or anything that looks suspicious.
Feel how it works. If the handling starts feeling strange, something is beginning to go wrong.
Always listen to your machine. One’s ear is a good tool to find out if everything is still going well. Pay attention to strange noises.
Keep your sprayer clean
It is important that the sprayer is washed after every day’s work. Some chemicals can leave some dust-like particles inside the sprayer, which may be difficult to clean later. It can also cause some parts to stick. This can cause problems when you want to use the sprayer again.
Rinse the sprayer at least three times.
Make sure it is properly clean.
Remove the nozzle.
Without the nozzle, pump the sprayer very fast to rinse the spray lance and the pump.
Cleaning the nozzle
Cleaning the sprayer nozzle with wire might damage it permanently. Rather use the hairs of a paint brush to clean the nozzle of debris.
Apply some grease to the moving parts.
Next month we shall look at the steps to follow to calibrate your sprayer.
Published with acknowledgement to the ARC Institute for Agricultural Engineering for the use of their manuals. Visit www.arc.agric.za for more information.
Related Posts
