Transcript Chemigating with Confidence: Injection System Calibration

Chemigating with
Confidence
Injection System Calibration
Tom Hoffmann
Technical Assistance Specialist
Byron Fitch
Chemigation Compliance Specialist
Topics

New Training Program

Chemigation & Fertigation Guidelines

Label Interpretation

Calibration of Injection System

Questions
New Training Program . . . and Concept
Chemigation Regulations
 Federal Label Improvement Program ( LIP )
Pesticide Regulation Notice 87-1
( Label Improvement Program for Pesticides
Applied Through Irrigation Systems )
 Provisions effective in April 1988
 Washington State
Chemigation Rule ( WAC 16-202-1001 )
 Effective date: October 31, 1989
Fertigation Rule ( WAC 16-202-2001 )
 Effective Date: January 7, 1991

Chemigation and Fertigation
 An applicator must demonstrate that an operation will not
result in reasonably foreseeable harm to humans, surface
water or ground water, or desirable plants or animals.
 Safety devices and injection equipment must be installed,
operated, and maintained according to manufacturer’s
specifications or established industry standards.
 Equipment must be operated and maintained in a manner to
prevent misapplication and off-site application.
 Applicator must verify that source water contamination will
not occur
 Alternative devices must be authorized by WSDA staff.
 Principal applicator is ultimately responsible.
 Irrigation & injection systems are deemed an apparatus.
Antipollution Devices
 Irrigation System
► Check valve
► Vacuum relief valve
► Low pressure drain
► Inspection port
“Substituted alternative technology not
otherwise specified . . . must be evaluated
by the department. . . .”
WAC 16-202-1003 ( 3 ) & WAC 15-202-2003 ( 4 )
Antipollution Devices
 Irrigation System
► Check valve
► Vacuum relief valve
► Low pressure drain
► Inspection port
Until alternative technology is
approved, devices are required.
Vacuum Relief Valve
Inspection Port
Check Valve
Low Pressure Drain
Antipollution Device Requirements
Antipollution Devices
 Irrigation System
► Check valve
► Vacuum relief valve
► Low pressure drain
► Inspection port
 Injection System
► Interlock
► Injection Line Check valve
Minimum: 10 psi opening pressure
< 15 % of systems
were compliant at
initial inspection.
Tank Identification
 Contact Name
 Phone Number
 Identifier
 Volume
 Pesticide Label
State
Requirements
Federal & State
Requirements
Chemigation
Full Pesticide Label
Fertigation
Farm maps to identify
location and direction of
sensitive sites
Contact Information
 Contact Name
 Phone Number
General Information
 Phone number
 Contact name
 Product name
 Start time & date
 End time & date
 Health hazards
 Symptomology
 Practical treatment
Reasons to Assess Uniformity
 Economic
► Excessive product
► Additional irrigation water
► Compromised yield and quality
 Environmental
► Deep leaching
► Surface runoff
 Regulatory
500
450
350
End Gun Status
Pressure (kPa)
400
300
250
200
Pressure
End gun status
150
100
50
On
Off
0
Off
On
0
30 60
90 121 150 180 210 240 270 299 329 359
Angular Location (degrees)
Seasonal Application Depth vs. Field Area
40
Application Depth (in)
35
 CU = 90%
30
 CU = 70%
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Percent of Field Area
80
90
100
420
Tuber Yield (cwt)
398
392
400
390
380
356
360
340
338
320
300
-5 to -3
-3 to -1
-1 to 1
1 to 3
3 to 5
Irrigation Scheduling (ET) - Inches
Total Potato Yield as Influenced by the Difference
Between Irrigation and Season Evaporation in
Southern Idaho, 1995.
Cost of Inefficiency

Swing Span
►
►
►

Production Cost
►
►

25 acres
Calibrate for ½ rate on
25 acres
Over apply by 10 % on
125 acres
Pesticide: $340 / acre
Fertilizer: $404 / acre
10 % Over application
►
►
Pesticide: $4,257
Fertilizer: $5,044
Total: $9,301
Processing Potatoes
Cost of Inefficiency
System with 70 % versus 90 % DUlq
 Irrigation water: 28 inches

►

Additional water: 5 inches
Irrigation system expense
►
Variable cost only


►
►
Electrical, labor, repair
$132.72 / acre
Increase by $33.17 per acre or $4,146 for pivot.
No penalty charged for overage of water allotment.
Cost of Inefficiency
3
to 12 % variation in pumping rate from
change in air temperature & solar radiation
5 percent on 125 pivot.
► Production cost ( Acre )
►
Chemical: $340
 Fertilizer: $404

►
Additional cost
$37.20 per acre
 $4,650 for pivot.

Cost of Inefficiency
 Distribution
Uniformity
 Pump Calibration ( 5 % )
$4,146
$4,650
Total:
$8,796
Quiz . . .
 Is
the pesticide label a legal document ?
Label Provisions
 Advisory
►
statements
Do not direct or require a user to perform
or refrain from an action.

Unenforceable.
►
Use words such as “suggested,”
“recommended,” or “should.”
►
“Treatment Guidelines: For optimum
results, certain procedures should be
observed. . . .”
80’
0.5 acre
10 % - 1.5 acres
25 % - 9.1 acres
50 % - 36 acres
70.6 % - 72.5 acres
75 % - 82 acres
100 % - 145 acres
Catch Can Test
Distribution Uniformity
DU=91.4%
Depth (inches)
1.20
1.00
0.80
0.60
0.40
0.20
0.00
0
200
400
600
800 1000 1200 1400
Distance (feet)
Percentage of rotten tubers in relation to distance from center
of pivot when cv Ranger was stored and sampled at various
times, Bruce WA, 1999.
Percent rotted tubers
25
93 days
20
y = 28.899x -1.8789
R2 = 0.86
15
50 days
30 days
8 days
10
Total rot
Fitted curve
5
0
15
18
21
24
27
31
34
Distance from center of pivot (m)
37
Label Provisions
 Mandatory
statements
►
Directives or commands
►
Require or prohibit certain actions by user
►
Binding and enforceable
►
Often ( not always ) use imperative verbs:

must, shall or shall not, do not, etc.

“Mechanically incorporate this product within
24 hours after application.”
Application Uniformity
WAC 16-202-1003 ( 13 )
“Equipment must be calibrated and
maintained in a manner to prevent
misapplication or off-site application. . . .”
Calibration – Seven Basic Steps
Determine the:
1. Size of the treated area, in acres.
2. Pivot circumference, in feet.
3. Pivot travel speed, in feet per minute.
4. Product used and application rate.
5. Total amount of product required.
6. The injection rate in gallons per hour.
7. Injection pump setting.
Chemigation Assumptions
 A grower will apply Bravo WeatherStik to








manage late blight.
Center pivot with drop nozzles.
Pivot to last tower is 1,248 feet.
Wetted radius is 1,290 feet.
There is no swing span.
Endgun will be disabled.
Target irrigation depth is 0.25-inch water.
Maximum rate selected for late blight control.
DUlq is 89 percent.
Chemigation Calibration
 Determine size of treatment area.
Chemigation Calibration
Area = r2
1,248 feet
Value for r ( Radius )
► Treated
area
► 80% of throw distance for
outermost sprayhead / nozzle
Field Size = 3.1416 x 1,290 feet x 1,290 feet
Field Size = 5,227,937 feet2 or 120 acres
Chemigation Calibration
 Calculate the pivot circumference.
Chemigation Calibration
1,248 feet
Measured at outer
most tower track
C = 2r
Circumference = 2 x 1,248 feet x 3.1416
Circumference = 7,841 feet
Chemigation Calibration
 Product application rate.
Chemigation Calibration
Labeled rate of product.
► 1.25
pints.
Chemigation Calibration
Total amount of product required.
► 1.25
pints / acre x 120 acres = 150 fl. oz.
Gallons =
150 pints
gallon
field
8 pints
or 18.75 gallons
Chemigation Calibration
Total amount of product required.
► 18.75
 a Carrier
gallons
Chemigation Calibration
Total amount of product required.
► 18.75
gallons
a Carrier
► 15:1
( 14 gallons water to 1 gallon Bravo )
Material
Gallons
Bravo
18.75
Water
281.25
Total
300.00
300-Gallon Batch
Chemigation Calibration
Set center pivot speed.
► Adjust
irrigation depth for DUlq = 89 %
► Adjusted Depth
 0.25-inch / .89 = 0.28-inch
Settings and Application Rate
Speed, %
5.0
7.5
10.0
12.5
15.0
17.5
20.0
25.0
30.0
35.0
40.0
45.0
50.0
60.0
70.0
80.0
90.0
100.0
Feet / Minute
Hours / Rev
Inch(es) / Pass
15.56
168.0
112.0
84.0
67.2
56.0
48.0
42.0
33.6
28.0
24.0
21.0
18.7
16.8
14.0
12.0
10.5
9.3
8.4
2.53
1.69
1.26
1.01
0.84
0.72
0.63
0.51
0.42
0.36
0.32
0.28
0.25
0.21
0.18
0.16
0.14
0.126
Settings and Application Rate
Speed, %
5.0
7.5
10.0
12.5
15.0
17.5
20.0
25.0
30.0
35.0
40.0
45.0
50.0
60.0
70.0
80.0
90.0
100.0
Feet / Minute
6.99
15.56
Hours / Rev
Inch(es) / Pass
168.0
112.0
84.0
67.2
56.0
48.0
42.0
33.6
28.0
24.0
21.0
18.7
16.8
14.0
12.0
10.5
9.3
8.4
2.53
1.69
1.26
1.01
0.84
0.72
0.63
0.51
0.42
0.36
0.32
0.28
0.25
0.21
0.18
0.16
0.14
0.126
Chemigation Calibration
Set center pivot speed for 0.28-inch.
► Pivot
timer = 45 %
Irrigation Depth at 100%
Percent Timer Setting =
Irrigation Depth Desired
Settings and Application Rate
Speed, %
45.0
100.0
Feet / Minute
6.99
15.56
Hours / Rev
18.7
8.4
Inch(es) / Pass
0.28
0.126
Chemigation Calibration
Verify pivot speed
► Set
the desired pivot speed ( 45% ).
► Run system “wet” at operating pressure.
► Take start and stop measures at the same
points in the move / stop cycle.
► If terrain is rolling, check speed at several
locations in rotation.
► Travel speed will change during the season.
 Variation in wheel track resistance due to soil
surface cover, soil compaction, & track depth.
Chemigation Calibration
General Rule – Minimum of:
 10 minutes
 50 feet
Travel Speed: 67.8 feet in 10 minutes
Chemigation Calibration
 Revolution Speed
Minutes / revolution =
10 minutes
67.8 feet
Chemigation Calibration
 Revolution Speed
Minutes / revolution =
10 minutes
7,841 feet
67.8 feet
revolution
1,156.5 min.  60 min. / hour = 19.3 hours
Pivot Speed Settings and Application Rate
Speed, %
Feet / Minute
Hours / Rev
Inch(es) / Pass
40
6.22
21.0
0.32
45adj
6.78
19.3
?
45
6.99
18.7
0.28
100
15.56
8.4
0.126
Chemigation Calibration
Determine application injection rate.
► Quantity
 300 gallons
► Length of irrigation set
 19.3 hours
► Injection rate per hour
Gallons / Hour =
300 gallons
19.3 hours
15.54 gallons / hour
Chemigation Calibration
Determine application injection rate.
► Quantity
 300 gallons
► Length of irrigation set
 19.3 hours
► Injection rate per hour
 15.54 gallons
► Pump capacity
 Rated: 30 gallons per hour
 Actual: 27 gallons per hour
Injection Pump Setting
 Injection Rate = 16.04 gallons / hour
 Pump capacity = 27 gallons per hour
% Setting of Pump =
% Setting of Pump =
Desired Injection Rate
Pump Capacity
15.54 gallons per hour
27 gallons per hour
% Pump Setting = 58 %
Factors Affecting Pump Output
 Factory-based specific drive shaft speed.
 Pump wear.
► Tolerances
► Bypass or leakage
 Pesticide formulation.
► Wettable powder v. emulsifiable concentrate
 Temperature
► Viscosity
► Thermo expansion / contraction
Fine Tuning Calibration
 Pump adjustments
► 30-second time checks
► 5-minute final time check.
Application Monitoring Record
Wind
Date
Time
Speed
Direction
Air
Temperature
Application
Rate
Observations
Questions