Author
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Sumner, Harold |
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Submitted to: Applied Engineering in Agriculture
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 4/4/1997 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: There continues to be a need for application technology research with small plot equipment on conventional chemigation technology and on a pivot-attached sprayer system (PASS). However, the self-propelled system that had previously been used did not provide reliable, convenient and uniform applications to field plots. Therefore, an improved system was designed, constructed, and evaluated to overcome problems with the old system. The tractor-mounted irrigation system simulator consists of a slow speed tractor, sprayer booms, a pesticide injection station, and a water supply. The water application depth and uniformity increases with increases in system operating pressure but is not influenced by height of the sprayer nozzle above the crop. The tractor-mounted system performs satisfactorily in field tests and overcomes problems found with an earlier self-propelled system. The new tractor-mounted system will be a valuable tool for the application of water and pesticides for chemigation and PASS, and for continued evaluations of pesticide formulations, application rate and chemigation and PASS on small research plots. Technical Abstract: An improved system for the application of chemicals to small research plots in irrigation water was designed, constructed and evaluated. The system was tractor-mounted with a 3-point hitch for easy removal from the tractor. It had application booms on both sides of the tractor with full jet nozzles spaced 51 cm (20 in) apart for chemigation and micro sprinklers spaced 1.8 m (6 ft) apart for a pivot-attached sprayer system (PASS). The operator's platform, located behind the tractor and in front of the spray booms, carried the injection system, injection pumps and chemical tanks. Water was supplied to the system from a 38-mm (1.5 in) diameter drag hose or from a nurse tank towed behind the tractor. The injection pumps were powered by an auxiliary generator attached to the tractor. Research plots treated by the system were 5.5 m (18 ft) wide by the desired length. The system had the capacity to apply 2.5 to 6.3 mm (0.1 to 0.5 in) of irrigation water or 1900 to 2800 L/ha (200 to 300 gpa) for the PASS. The water application depth was controlled by traveling velocity of the tractor and/or irrigation or PASS nozzle pressure. The system was calibrated for water application depth and coefficient of uniformity (CU) and subsequently evaluated for the application of insecticides on whorl-stage corn (Zea mays) during 1995. Chemigation water depth and CU increased linearly with system pressure but was not significantly influenced by nozzle height above catch cups. |
