[QUOTE=Guilherme;8195892]
So far, so good on the rain today!!!
We’re fortunate that we have no row crop operations nearby and particularly no tobacco. I was warned that tobacco is very sensitive to 2.4.D and to only use it on dead, calm days if neighbors are growing it. I used to see it pretty regularly around here but have not seen any in the past two or three years.
Concur with your comments on effectiveness and application “art.” We’ve got a “gun” on the back of the rig. It’s great for corners, rock outcroppings, and other obstacles that prevent the rig boom from applying the material. We use a boom sprayer, vice boomless, as I think it gives more precise application and is less subject to wind gust induced drift.
Do you use anything in the sprayer to “mark” the sprayed areas? Most of the time I can follow my tracks but sometimes “spatial disorientation” can be an issue. I’ve heard of “marking devices” that can be put on the ends of booms, but most are for “commercial” spray rigs; mine is pretty small. Have you ever tried using something for a “dye” such as food coloring? Did it work?
G.[/QUOTE]
I only have a small 50 gal 3 point hitch sprayer and a “spot” sprayer gun for my paddocks and “small” stuff. And “eye ball” it like you. I hire my local Ag Company to spray and fertilize my bigger acreage. The can do things much faster and more efficient use of the costly fertilizer and herbicides. The big equipment they use have a “foamer” on the end of the boom. It periodically “drops” a “ball foam maker” as it moves along. The newer equipment is GPS controlled and the operator just sits and the machine “drives” itself.
Being a “MacGyver” type and spending a lot of time in a tractor seat I’ve thought about fabricating some sort of inexpensive “lap maker”. It shouldn’t be too difficult nor expensive to “MacGyver” a foam marker. Been meaning to check the internet and see if someone has already worked something out. A lot of “MacGyers” out there.
The easiest thing I thought might work is using Ag lime. Make a “bag” out of cheese cloth or something of the like fill it with Ag lime. Make an equal length boom and attach to the front of my tractor hang the “bag” letting it drag and it should leave a white line. There maybe 2 draw backs to this. The “bag” may empty quickly requiring refilling the bag and or have several on hand. Though I should think the “bag” can be “fine” tuned to “release” only what is needed. But if it is too little the “spray” may “erase” the line. Another way to mark with lime would be to hang the “bag” on a pulley system with the rope going to the operator. Periodically drop the bag leaving a white mark. I am not sure it the time and effort to fabricate and operate would be much of a time and herbicide saver in the end. But it would be fun to do and see if it works in my spare time. Not having a lot of spare time I have a feeling this is going to stay on the drawing board for a while.
The only dye I can think of that might work is some sort of “florescent”. Seems to me if there was something out there that would work it would be readily available.
