Quality of self-propelled sprayers through periodic inspection

The inspection of agricultural sprayers is a vital tool for the increment of quality of spray technology for phytosanitary products. The objective of this work was to evaluate the performance conditions of self-propelled sprayers on-farm, using the periodical inspection methodology for sprays and analyzing the climatic conditions during the spraying. The evaluations were carried on farms visited randomly. A questionnaire was filled out by the operator or farmers and the inspection itself of the sprayers. The items evaluated were the condition and location of hoses, presence of leaks, monitor performance, spacing between nozzles, spray nozzles, in-line filter, primary filter, the performance of anti-dripping gauges, and limiting environmental conditions. Most interviewed operators and farmers did not know the methodology for inspecting agricultural sprayers, demonstrating the need to create specific training programs in the region. Self-propelled sprayers have a few technical problems when they were new, however, spraying beyond the ideal weather conditions can reduce the spraying quality

Deposition of sprayed drops in soybean in function of sowing spacing

To reach all parts of the plants can be a difficult achievement faced by the drops in several crops. Strategies in crop management such as an increment in the plant spacing can contribute to the spray application's success. This study aimed to evaluate the droplets deposition in soybean, using three different spray nozzles and application rate, in two soybean rows spacing. The experimental design used was the randomized blocks, with treatments arranged in a split-plot scheme. The plots were the interrow spacing (0.45 and 0.76 m), the subplots were the spray nozzles (JA-2 and Magno 11002 BD), and the sub-subplots were the application rate (120, 200 and 280 L ha-1). Droplets coverage was evaluated in the upper, middle and lower thirds of soybean plants. Water-sensitive papers were installed in the adaxial part of plant leaves to analyze the spray technology and evaluated using E-Sprinkle® software. Spraying was performed in plants at the R5.3 soybean stage. This experiment evaluated the following parameters: the volume median diameter, the density of droplets per cm2, the droplet coverage area, and the droplet percentage less than 150 µm. The increase in the soybean row spacing combined with the spray volume increase provided greater droplet coverage in the middle third in soybean crop. The Magno 11002 BD droplet nozzle provided the higher droplet coverage in the row spacing of 0.76 m. The spray rate of 280 L ha-1 provided the highest density of droplets per cm2 in the lower third and greater coverage in the middle-third