Drought continues to carryover more problems than dry soil

Many farmers suffered from the drought last year, and now they will continue to with the potential for herbicide carryover in the new planting season. Dry soil mixed with low moisture accumulation created an ideal setting for chemicals to remain in the soil and not breakdown in the off season. The biggest concern with herbicide carryover is the potential for lingering chemicals from last year to cause crop injury to this year’s plants. 

The factors that contribute to herbicide carryover include:

•          Soil characteristics 
•          Precipitation 
•          Chemicals applied 
•          Microorganisms

Soil Characteristics

The pH level, type of soil and organic matter relate to the soil’s level of potential for herbicide carryover. According to Aaron Hager, in his article Be Aware of the Potential for Herbicide Carryover, soil pH determines the level of herbicide for plant use and for how quickly the herbicide is broken down in the soil. This process is slowed down with a higher pH level.

Soil types can be categorized by the varying amounts of sand, silt and clay that the soil contains. Clay soil, which is noted for its low drainage capabilities, is more susceptible to herbicide carryover than coarse-textured soil.

The amount of organic matter in the soil will also play into the potential for herbicide carryover. Higher levels of organic matter in the soil will slow down the chemical degradation process. Organic matter is more likely to hold higher levels of herbicide in the soil, making it unusable for plants and harder for microorganisms to break the herbicides down. 

Precipitation

Both the amount of precipitation and the distribution throughout the year are contributing factors to herbicide carryover. Lower levels of precipitation, such as this past year, decrease soil moisture and limit the soil’s ability to dilute the herbicides. There is less concern for herbicide carryover in areas that received rain in the fall.

Chemicals applied

Depending on what type of chemicals you applied to your fields last year, you may be more at risk for herbicide carryover. The half-life of the chemical used paired with the rate of the application will help you evaluate what your risk for carryover is.

Check out Iowa State University’s list of herbicides that are ranked from slight risk to high risk for herbicide carryover this spring. 

Soil Microorganisms

Herbicides are broken down in the soil by microorganisms, and these microorganisms determine how quickly the chemicals are degraded.  Hager also discussed how a microorganism’s species and abundance greatly influences the rate at which herbicide degradation occurs. In soils with adequate moisture, this process occurs much more rapidly than in extremely dry conditions, which explains why herbicide carryover is such a concern following a drought year. 

2013 Plan of action

 

Planting season will be upon us before we know it making it essential to plan ahead with your herbicide management. It is important to take proactive measures to protect this year’s crops from last year’s chemicals. 

Collecting a soil sample or conducting a bioassay can help you confirm if there is herbicide carryover. Here is a video from the University of Arkansas on how to properly perform a soil sample.

For more information on proper procedure for a bioassay, check out this article by the University of Nebraska. If you are going to use one of these options for analyzing your soil, you should plan to do so early spring before planting. 

If you are concerned about herbicide carryover in your fields, take last year’s application dates and application rates into consideration when planning out planting dates for this year. 

According to Clarke McGrath, Iowa State University extension field agronomist, in a Farm World article, “The best management practices from start to finish are good residue and soil management; optimal seedbed conditions; proper seeding depth; optimum plant populations and spacing; sound soil fertility programs; and integrated pest management can minimize the effects of herbicide carryover.”

Top five things to complete your Apache sprayer spring start up

Glimpses of warmer weather are starting to sneak up across the country, and it is time to start thinking about getting back out in the fields. Before you can get that first fertilizer application on the ground, you should remember these five important spring start up steps for your sprayer. 

    

    1. Check fluid levels and tire pressure

Oil and Fluid Levels Levels

Check your engine oil, hydraulic oil, differential oil and planetary or dropbox oil and change as needed. Your engine requires 15w40 oil, while your hydraulic and differential systems use universal hydraulic oil and your planetary or dropbox needs 80/90 oil.

Accumulators

Proper inspection of the accumulator nitrogen levels, including the boom wing, front strut, brake, back rack and rear suspension, can help prevent boom damage. Your dealer has the necessary tools, including nitrogen, to check and charge your Apache’s accumulators if they are low. 

Tire Pressure

Depending on the model of tires, your air pressure will vary; however, typically we recommend 35 PSI on the front tires and 49 PSI on the rear tires for standard tires. For narrow tires, we recommend setting them at 41 PSI on the front and 78 PSI on the rear. Keeping tires at the recommended PSI will prevent excessive compaction in the field.

    2. Cycle the rear suspension

Cycling the rear suspension lubricates the cylinder rod and seal on the cylinders. It also prevents the eyelets on the cylinders from breaking when the axle pivots. To cycle the rear suspension on your Apache, start the machine and unhook the leveling rods at the ball joints. Then hold the switch arm up until the cylinder stops. Once completed, hold the switch down until the machine lowers all the way and then connect the rod and the machine will go back to normal height. Repeat on the other side. 

    

    3. Grease the entire machine

Taking the time to grease all the components will prevent parts from wearing out too quickly. It is necessary to grease your steering components including the tie end rods on the cylinders since a lack of regular attention to this area can lead to erratic steering. 

Not to leave the driveline out, greasing this part will prevent premature wear on the driveshaft that leads to chatter. Greasing the booms should include the rack lift parallel bars, boom fold pivots, sway pivots and cylinder flag pins. 

    4. Inspect the wet system and booms

Put 100 gallons of water in the product and rinse tanks to check for leaks in the wet system. After adjusting the booms, pressurize them and inspect the hoses for any leaks. If any of your hoses are damaged, this is a good time to replace them, before they become a hazard. Install your nozzles and check them with a spray calibrator. To retighten the product tank straps, fill the tank with 250 gallons of water and tighten the straps until secured. 

    5. Verify field computer calibrations

This includes the boom, meter and speed calibrations. Always verify the correct controller calibration values are entered in your machine. It is important to make sure nothing has been changed in the calibrations. 

Performing regular maintenance checks on your Apache sprayer will help you prevent mechanical issues later on. For more information on your Apache upkeep, consult your owner’s manual or check out the daily, weekly, monthly and yearly checklists.

Apache Maintenance: Yearly Checklist

In addition to your daily, weekly and monthly Apache maintenance, there are also parts that need to be checked or replaced on a yearly basis. This checklist is designed for the 20 Series Apache models. 

Adjust steering toe-in

The steering toe-in will rarely need an adjustment, but it is a good idea to check this component once a year because it is possible that after a year of wear on the system, it will require an adjustment. A toe-in adjustment can help improve driving and prevent tire wear.

Before making any adjustments to the toe-in, re-phase the steering on adjustable axles. Re-phasing the steering will ensure that your tires are lined up and that air is out of the system. To adjust the steering toe-in you will need to turn the tie rod or tie rod ends. The toe-in should be set at ¼ inch inward.

Replace engine air filters and cab filters

If you are following the other checklists, you have already inspected your engine air filters, but they should be replaced yearly. You should always get the proper filters from your dealer. The cab filters that need replaced include both the charcoal and recirculation filters. 

Inspect front struts

When checking the front struts, make sure there is at least 4 inches of travel on the cylinder when the booms are in spray position. We recommend letting a dealer do any necessary repairs on the struts should the cylinders need service. Low cylinders could indicate low hydraulic fluid levels or a low nitrogen charge. 

Check nitrogen in accumulators

Accumulators are important to your Apache’s ride, but they are also important for protecting the boom. An empty accumulator can cause the boom to break. Your dealer will have the tools needed and the nitrogen to keep your accumulators operating properly. Check all of the accumulators including the boom wing accumulators, front strut accumulators, brake accumulators, back rack accumulators and rear suspension accumulators.

Change engine oil and filter

Always use a 15w40 oil when changing your engine’s oil. We recommend always using Fleetguard, the OEM filter. After the first 100 hours, the in-line engine fuel filter will need replaced; then it will need replaced on a yearly basis. 

Change transmission oil and filter

When filling the transmission, universal hydraulic fluid can be used; however, you need to be careful not to overfill or underfill the transmission. You should refer to your operator’s manual for fluid capacities.  Also, it is very important to clean the sump strainer on the transmission. With the AS1020 and the AS1220 models, you will need to go through the calibration procedure as outlined in your owner’s manual but this is not necessary with the AS720 because it has a different transmission. While the ZF transmission in the AS1020 and the AS1220 is completely automatic, it does require you to warm the transmission before starting the calibration procedure.

Replace planetary oil and dropbox oil

The planetaries and the dropbox are the only places on your sprayer where you will use 80/90 oil. It is common to find some metal debris in the planetaries when draining oil; however, if you find chunks of gears, the planetaries should be further inspected. 

Inspect and pack front hub bearings

Since the Apache sprayer travels at faster rates of speed down the road than a pull type sprayer, you will need to inspect and repack the front hub bearings every year. 

If you are working with an older Apache model, additional or different maintenance will be required.

There's an app for that

As the world of apps continues to grow, the vast number of options can quickly become overwhelming. Whether you are trying to calculate ratios for mixing chemicals, monitor field conditions or simply checking the weather, there is an app for that. The vast number of apps available for agriculture allows for many options, but with so many options how do you know which app is right for you? 

Check out some of our favorite agriculture apps that are handy to have for your spraying applications and pest management program.  

ID Weeds

ID Weeds, produced by Missouri’s College of Agriculture Food and Natural Resources division of Plant Science, allows you to search for weeds by their common or Latin name, view a list of weeds, or identify weeds based upon a number of different characteristics, details about each weed are presented along with photographs of the weed specified. This free iPhone app received a 4.5 star rating by users.

SpraySelect

TeeJet Technologies allows you to quickly and easily choose the proper tip or nozzle for your application. Just enter your speed, spacing and your target rate. Select your drop size category and you have a list of tips that will work for your application. The right nozzle is just a few seconds away with this 5 star rated app available for both Apple and Android devices.

Precision Earth

Available for Apple devices, the Precision Earth app allows the user to grid field based on acres. Use this app in the field for sample collection and record keeping. Now you can collect and track samples based on year with your phone using this free app. 

YieldCheck

The YieldCheck app, developed by Precision Planting, allows the grower to calculate corn yield estimates. Ability to store estimates based on fields and farms is available, as well as estimation locations on a satellite-based map. This app is only available for Apple devices.

Mix Tank

Mix Tank, the winner of AgProfessional magazine’s readers’ choice 2011 Top Product of the Year award, helps applicators with proper chemical mixing instructions and assists with maintaining spray logs. The Mix Tank app is a free app available for both Android and Apple devices.

Agrian Mobile

This free app provides the user with access to the largest crop protection database in the world. Agrian Mobile features information on 5,800 crop protection products and more than 250 manufacturers for iPhone users.

Agriculture Regulations

With a growing number of government and industry regulations to follow, especially in the application business, this handy app will keep farmers up-to-date with access to regulations. This app also allows you to bookmark regulations that pertain to your operation on your Apple devices. 

For more information on the many apps available for agriculture use, check out this App book.