1. Sprinkle devices, equipments andSprinkle devices, equipments and
machinesmachines
• Sprinkle equipments are conceived for the
terrestrial, manual or mechanical application
of liquid pesticides.
• The sort of the used equipment is established
based on the characteristic features of the crop
as well as on the size of the cultivated area.
• On small areas (such as vegetables gardens)
the best solution is the usage of manual pumps
carried by the operators. On larger areas,
mechanical equipments of low capacity are
being used.
• On large areas such as field crops or vineyards
mechanical equipments of high capacity are
being used.
THE PREPARATION,CONTROL,TUNING ANDTHE PREPARATION,CONTROL,TUNING AND
CHECKING OF THE SPRINKLE EQUIPMENTSCHECKING OF THE SPRINKLE EQUIPMENTS
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2. Categories of sprinkle equipments:Categories of sprinkle equipments:
• Sprinkle equipments operated
manually or operated by electrical
engines (either carried by the operator
or towed manually)
• Sprinkle equipments carried or towed by
tractors or self- propulsion machines.
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3. Categories of sprinkle equipments carried or towed by tractorsCategories of sprinkle equipments carried or towed by tractors
or self- propulsion machinesor self- propulsion machines
Sprinkle equipments in the field (horizontal-
field crop sprayers) that are being used for
the treatment of small crops such as cereals,
vegetables.
Three-dimensional sprinkle equipments
(three-dimensional-tree crop sprayers) that
are being used for the treatment of
vineyards, trees, etc
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4. The preparation, control and check of sprinkle equipmentsThe preparation, control and check of sprinkle equipments
The beginning of any action of fighting against diseases and pests by the usage of sprinkle
equipments mechanically operated requires a preparation phase. The equipment needs to be
prepared, controlled and adjusted to the requirements of the work that it needs to perform.
The preparation of the equipment includes the coupling to the tractor operations, checking the
well- functioning and control instruments and also the checking of the water- tight of the
elements through which the sprinkle fluid passes (tank, filter, pump etc.)
We can also mention here the operations of periodical maintenance for the spare parts of the
equipment: the correct position of the sprinkles, the cleaning of the nozzles, changing the
damaged nozzles, checking the level of oil from the reducers and pump, etc.
In some countries a mandatory periodical technical inspection has been introduced in order to
check the functional parameters of the sprinkle equipments. Performing of such a periodical
technical inspection means the usage of specific measuring and control instruments. Therefore
this check- up may take place exclusively in specially equipped workshops or service shops that
have highly qualified personal and the license to perform such inspection and release a the
technical inspection certificate.
The adjustment of the flow capacity of the sprinkle equipment represents the last preparation
phase.
By a correct adjustment of the fluid dose and the quantity of active substance applied, the
efficiency of the treatment will be guaranteed and the negative effects of over- dose or under-
dose of the substance will be avoided.
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5. The placement of sprinkles on the sprinkling balustersThe placement of sprinkles on the sprinkling balusters
The basic pre- requisites for the fulfillment of high quality results in the control of diseases and pests are:
the usage of an adequate equipment for the applied treatment, the well- functioning of this equipment and
its proper adjustment.
Thus, in accordance with the size of the plants and the vegetable mass of the crop, horizontal field crop
sprayers or three- dimensional tree crop sprayers may be used.
•For sprinkles applied before the crop springs or for
small size crops, horizontal field crop sprayers are
being used.
•For high crops and crops protected by green
houses, three- dimensional tree crop sprayers with
or without stream as well as manual sprinklers are
being used.
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6. The purpose of a sprinkle work is to deposit evenly a maximum quantity of the on phytosanitarian product
on the targeted control surface.
No matter what type of crop we treat, the uniformity of the distribution of the phytosanitarian substance
can be obtain by using the same type of sprinkles. They must be evenly placed , with equal distances among
them and at the proper distance from the targeted surface.
From this reason, the horizontal balusters have sprayers placed in series, at equal distances of 25, 33, 50 or
75 cm. These are equipped with nozzles of the same type and flow capacity. The distance between the
nozzle and the sprinkle target area must allow a transversal even distribution of the substance.
For the sprayers with nozzles, the distance between the sprayers and
the targeted area must allow a double coverage.
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7. Types of sprayers:Types of sprayers:
•Sprinkles than can be set on a hose •Multiple sprayer with 5 nozzles set on an inox pipe
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8. Types of hydraulic nozzles:Types of hydraulic nozzles:
Customary hydraulic nozzles are classified based on the shape of the drops stream:
-nozzles with lenticular stream (flat fan)
- nozzles with double lenticular stream
- nozzles with off- centered, oblique stream
- nozzles with conical stream
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9. The check of sprinkle equipments:The check of sprinkle equipments:
The efficiency of the treatments is connected with the uniformity of the
dosage of the phytosanitarian product that is being applied. The over-
dosage or under- dosage must be avoided because a smaller quantity
then the recommended one will endanger the success of the treatment.
A larger quantity may cause phytotoxicity phenomena or an
accumulation of residues of pesticides beyond in accepted limits.
Especially for vegetables, the issue of using the right dose is acute,
because the vegetables are harvested and used on individual basis
unlike the great majority of agricultural products. For agricultural
products the harvest process includes the homogenization of the surface
and therefore of the content of toxic residues.
We must keep in mind that:
- the homogeneity of the distribution of the sprinkle substance depends
on the application technique
- for the treatment of experimental crops, the equipments which have
sprayers on placed in series on balusters are being used. This equipment
is used in order for the homogeneity not to influence in a negative way
the variation of the results of the experiment.
Currently specialists are working on an European standard concerning
the inspection of sprinkle equipments that are being used ( CEN TC 144 ).
This standard includes the proposal of using transversal distribution on
the test bench as a quality criteria for the sprinkle activity.
The lack of parallelism between the position of the baluster and the
surface that has to be sprinkled, might negatively influence the
uniformity of the treatment, over- dosage or under- dosage areas may
appear.
•Automatic bench equipped with gutters for
the determination of the uniformity of
transversal distribution
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10. The mandatory periodical inspection of three- dimensional tree crop sprayers with or without air stream is simple and
includes:
- the check of the pump flow capacity verificarea debitului pompei
- the check of the solution mixing system
- the check of the manometers and sprayers
- the check of the symmetry of the air stream
The results of the inspections are registrated in control charts and in the minute. Based on these documents, the technical
inspection certificate for the sprinkle equipments is released.
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