This can help the driver detect calibrationerrors, plugged nozzles, and other problems during the application. There are several ways to vary sprayer output for different block. Methodscan be combined to get the desired result. Adding or subtracting nozzlesis the simplest and most common method. As long as the sprayer operatorknows what happens to pesticide delivery by adding or subtracting nozzles,it is also probably the best.
Caution is advisedin adjusting travel speed.
Research trials have indicated that going slowerthan 1.5 mph or faster than 2.5 mph can cause problems with airblast spraypenetration into tree canopies and affect spray coverage. For power take-offdriven sprayers, the gear and RPM settings needed to properly operate thesprayer may limit the options for adjusting travel speed. The grower can use the Gallons per Minute formula fromExample B to calculate the necessary Gallons per Minute output if the sprayerwill be used to make a 3X spray to Block C at 2.1 mph. It is very important to verify the output of each setup by doing apreseason sprayer calibration, find the adjustments needed to get the desiredoutput, and record them. A worksheet to help with calibration is available,see Table 2 - IPM Resources.