Material Handling and Application Systems
Material Handling and Application Systems covers sprayers, spreaders, conveyors, augers, loaders, and telehandlers. Expect nozzle selection and flow, sprayer calibration in litres per hectare, tank-mix order and compatibility, pump and agitation types, drift management, spreader pattern setup, and safe load chart use on lifting equipment.
Calibration and nozzles
- Spray rate depends on nozzle flow, ground speed, and nozzle spacing: litres per hectare = 600 x litres per minute divided by (kilometres per hour x spacing in metres).
- Nozzle wear increases flow; replace nozzles when flow exceeds the rated value by about 10 percent, and never mix worn and new nozzles on a boom.
- Droplet size drives drift: fine droplets drift, coarse droplets reduce drift but can run off. Match nozzle, pressure, and speed to the product label.
- Keep boom height at the recommended distance above the target for correct overlap; too high increases drift and uneven coverage.
Tank mixing and pumps
- Typical order: fill with water, add ammonium sulphate if required, then dry formulations, then liquids, then adjuvants. Do a jar test for unknown combinations.
- Diaphragm and piston pumps handle abrasive suspensions; centrifugal pumps move high volume with lower pressure. Agitation must keep product in suspension without foaming.
Lifting and conveying
- Telehandler and loader capacity falls as load centre distance increases. Always read the load chart at the actual boom angle and extension, and never exceed rated capacity.
- Use ROPS and FOPS protection, keep the load low while travelling, and never allow anyone under a raised boom.
- Augers and conveyors need guards in place, correct PTO shielding, and the intake clear of hands and clothing.
Worked example
Each nozzle delivers 1.2 litres per minute, nozzles are spaced 0.5 m apart, and you travel at 8 kilometres per hour. Rate = 600 x 1.2 / (8 x 0.5) = 720 / 4 = 180 litres per hectare. If the label calls for 150 litres per hectare, you can raise speed to about 9.6 kilometres per hour or fit smaller nozzles. The reasoning: speed and nozzle size are the two practical levers, and pressure should stay within the nozzle's rated range for droplet quality.
Traps that cost marks
- Calibrating with water and ignoring product density and adjuvants.
- Judging nozzle condition by eye instead of measuring flow.
- Exceeding the load chart because the machine feels stable.
- Mixing tank products in the wrong order and creating an unrecoverable slurry.