Example Applications | Vegetable Spraying

Vegetables

In the heavy canopy conditions that all vegetable growers deal with, Proptec is a devastatingly effective spraying tool. Vegetables are often treated like other row crops when it comes to spraying equipment, but of course they are much more complicated. When you need total canopy penetration, in the flowers, behind the fruit, under the leaves- you need Proptec. If you are a small grower, dont be intimidated by the pictures. we have designs and solutions for growers from an acre or two up to thousands of acres.
WOW- take a minute to look at the chart at right. Look at the HUGE reduction in infected pickles, just by changing sprayer technology, and the overall INCREASE in harvest numbers. If you could harvest 10-20% more sellable vegetables just by changing sprayers, why wouldn't you? There's a lot more to show you below, but really, what else do you need to know? More research: Pickles: Phytopthora Control in Pickles Pickles: Phytopthora Control in Pickles Pickles: Phytopthora Control in Pickles 2002 Carrots: 2000 Results Carrots: 2001 Results Carrots: 2001 Results Potatoes: field comparison of the effectiveness of air-assisted vs conventional on vine kill in Potatos. This article also contains research on celery and tomatoes. Potatoes: 2000 application report
When it comes to canopy penetration, it’s all about small drops and air volume. Pushing the air out of the canopy and replacing it with spray-laden air is what makes air-assisted sprayers qualitatively better. On a 5’ spacing, Proptec PT100 atomizers have nearly 2000 CFM of air assistance per foot of boom- far more air volume than any other air-boom type sprayer.
Below, you can see the underside coverage on a water sensing card beneath the romaine lettuce being sprayed at right. While the card isn't soaked blue, you dont want that anyway. A blue soaked card means over-coverage and wasted chemical- you just killed the dead fungus more dead. There is a uniform spray of hits over this card, well over 200/ square centimeter. If you are spraying a material that will control the disease, Proptec will get it where it needs to be.

At right, a typical application in asparagus, with 10 atomizers on a self-propelled sprayer covering a 50 foot swath. With 10,000 CFM of air per atomizer, you have enough air to drive fast and still get the coverage you need, 7-10 MPH or more in certain conditions. At 7 MPH, A machine like this is capable of over 40 acres per hour.
How does Proptec compare to other sprayers in Vegetables? Below are a few key points. for More information see our page: Atomizers \| Agricultural Benefits

Comparison of typical vegetable sprayers versus Proptec
	Cannon Sprayer	Proptec Sprayer	Nozzle Boom
wind resistance	best when you are spraying with the wind. Cannot spray well against wind.	highly wind resistant from any direction	good if large droplet nozzle or AI, poor if fine droplet
canopy penetration	variable with distance from head	superior and uniform	fair to poor
application rate	high GPA's can be difficult	5-120 GPA from one Proptec atomizer	change nozzles to make major rate changes
precision	depends on drift, spray concentration highly variable over swath, sprays whole swath.	precise control, each head sprays one row. only want to spray 3 rows? Turn 3 heads on .	precise control- turn nozzles on and off as needed.