Vol. 16—1962 - NorthEastern Weed Science Society

164
EQUIPMEmFORSPRAYING camaCAIS FORLAYB1' _
WHILECULTIVATXNG POl'ATOJl3 ..
Arthur Hawldns 1
(IDNrROL
Directing a spray appllcatlQn .0£chemicals to the· soil tor weed contm
atter the Ja.st cultivation in potatoes is practica.:l4r impossible with standard
potato sprayers when potato vines are large. Special equipnent would have to
.be devised to part the vines and direct the spray on .the soU. It wu suggested
to growers that low pressure spra7 equipment could. be used to spra7 the chemicals
behind the hillers WlUe maldng the final cultivation.
During the past three years, three Connecticut pot,ato growers equipped
their tractors. with low pressure power take-oft pumpe and equ1p11Sntto sP!V
weed control chemicals on the soil while IIBking the tinal cultivation with
two-row equ1puent. Th87 obtained control of weeds with the chemicals applied ~
One of the growers built a platform at the rear ot his traotor to support
a 50 gallon metal barrel which 'IIIIl.S used &8 a container tor the spray soluti6n.
Copper tUbing was used to make the boom which 'IIIIl.S located behind the barrel.
Twonozzles located behind each rear wheel and three nozzles on a drop pipe
between the rows just behind the barrel, were directed to 81%'a7the soU.
Regular potato sJra7llI'· nozzles with No."3 discs and 30 lbs. 1%'esstu"llwere used
to ap~ 8 gallons of solution pel' acre.
With a ditterent kind of traotor, another grower raised the drawbar
sufficiently' to make room' for the power take ott-pumpJ the barrel WlUI located
off-oenter on the drawbar.
The third grower, using a tool bar (drawar removed), located two
rectangular-shaped metal tanks of 4O-gal1on capacit7 between the wheels and
the oontrols, the tanks were bolted to the axle housing. The spray nozzles'
were attached to the spades held b;r the tool bar at the rear 6t the tractor.
The nozzles wre direoted to spray the soil behind the spades. Thirt7 pound
pressure was used to aPP4r 12 gallOI18 ot solution per acre. Rubber hose WILS
used to aupp4r the nozzles irlstead ot copper tubing.
1 Agronom1et and Elttenslon Potato Spec1a1ist, Universit7 or Connecticut, Storrs,
Connecticut