Posted: April 1, 2009

Wilger claims Quick Calibrator and Quick Control can save time, dollars

Proper sprayer calibration can help producers save money, protect their industry's reputation and protect their own environment. The downside is it can also be a time-consuming task.

Spray component manufacturer Wilger has developed a new tool the company says can help make the calibration process quicker, easier and more accurate. Wilger's Quick Calibrator is a tool that replaces a jug, stopwatch and calculator, essentially combining all three in one electronic unit that checks and displays flow rate and application rate.

How it works

The development of the Quick Calibrator was driven by the costs of over- or underapplying crop protection product, says Ken Jackson, marketing manager with Wilger. "The key thing is that you want to put on just the right amount of product," he says. "If you put on too much, your expense goes up and there is a chance of crop damage. If you don't put on enough, you don't get the control you need and you have to go back and spray again. Either way it costs you."

Although calibration is considered a key tool in reducing the risk of spray inaccuracy, the traditional jug, stopwatch and calculator method can be a cumbersome and imperfect process, says Jackson. "If you don't hit the button on the stopwatch at the right time or if it's not timed exactly when you pull the container out, it can throw your calculations out by several percentage points."

The Quick Calibrator is designed to rectify this problem, allowing producers to quickly and easily check their application rates or amount of wear on their spray nozzles, says Jackson. An operator puts the unit under an operating spray nozzle and within 15 to 45 seconds the flow rate and application rate is calculated and displayed. "It's faster and more accurate than the jug and stopwatch method and no calculations are required," he says.

Pressing the arrow buttons on the unit helps users measure the effects of increased or decreased speed on application rate, says Jackson. The Nozzle Comparator feature helps producers check nozzle wear by saving individual flow rates and then comparing them against the average flow rate of all the nozzles. "The unit also lets you quickly and easily check a few nozzles each time you spray to verify the application rate is correct."

Quick Control companion system

Wilger's new Quick Control remote control system adds a new level of convenience to the calibration process and is very much a companion system to the Spray Calibrator, says Jackson. The hand-held remote control allows users to control up to seven boom sections via a sprayer mounted control module that plugs into wiring systems on most current sprayer models. Individual boom sections or all boom sections can be turned on or off with the remote.

"Sprayers have gotten so big that if you walk around the boom and up to the cab, it can be a couple of hundred feet of walking to get back and forth," says Jackson. "Nozzle calibration, inspection and maintenance are a whole lot easier when you don't have to climb in and out of the cab to turn the booms on and off."

In addition to its role as a convenience tool, Jackson says the Quick Control's ability to turn individual booms on and off can even play a role in operator safety. "Minimizing the amount of walking around and climbing up and down on the sprayer helps minimize the potential for producers to slip and hurt themselves."

More information available

The Quick Calibrator carries a suggested list price of $399 and can be purchased at most dealerships that carry Wilger products. The Quick Control is priced around $900, depending on which wiring kit is required, says Jackson. More information is available on the Wilger Web site at www.wilger.net.

Posted: April 1, 2009

Syngenta Crop Protection Canada has announced the registration of a new use pattern of one litre per acre for Primextra II Magnum annual grass herbicide as part of a planned yield management program with Touchdown Total for corn. Other existing registered rates for Primextra II Magnum are 1.2 L per acre for light weed infestations, 1.4 L per acre for medium weed infestations, and 1.6 L per acre for heavy weed infestations.

According to Syngenta, the lower rate for Primextra II Magnum will provide weed suppression throughout the critical crop establishment phase in corn and is to be used in a planned program with a post-emergent herbicide such as Touchdown Total in a glyphosate tolerant corn system.

"An early application, or a 'Foundation Acre' application, of Primextra is an important part of a yield management program," says Wayne Bennett, brand manager-eastern business region for Syngenta Crop Protection Canada. "By using this new rate of Primextra pre-emergently, followed by an in-crop application of Touchdown Total, growers can ensure their herbicide program adds to their yield goals."

For more information, click here.