The Proper Care and Cleaning of Sprayers

The sprayers of today are far different from those early ones. They have plenty of diesel horsepower, booms 90 feet wide, air conditioned cabs and more computer power than the Apollo astronauts had when they landed on the moon. I spent many days on some of those old sprayers. I was sitting close to a hot engine catching plenty of hot air, dust and spray drift.

But I also learned that the single most important factor was cleanliness. Especially the inside of the spray system. The most important 30 minutes of the day was at the end of the day when the spray tips and all the strainers were taken out and cleaned. Then the tanks were rinsed and entire spray system was flushed.

Back then the only spray cleaner we had was household ammonia. And when used at the right concentrations, it is still a good choice today. However, many companies sell even better cleaners. Just don’t go cheap and use lower than the recommended rate. Be sure you circulate and spray the cleaning solution long enough for optimum cleaning.

Then, if you like, drain the system.

Others have found that if they circulate the cleaning system and then shut the system down, leaving the cleaning system in the sprayer they get even better cleaning. This helps neutralize spray residues inside the tank and the plumbing system. The next time the sprayer is used, just drain the cleaning solution and fill up.

Either way, be you sure to pull the strainers and clean them. A plugged strainer in the middle of a 100 acre field, without a shade tree in sight, is not a pretty situation.

But regardless of how you clean and which cleaner you choose, just do it. It is a whole lot easier to keep a sprayer clean than it is to clean one up.

I would have enjoyed the air-conditioned cab.

--Tom Crumby

Arkansas Advisory: true armyworms turning up in wheat

True armyworms are turning up in Arkansas wheat in some areas, and there's always the risk that they will move into adjoining crops, like rice. Gus Lorenz, Extension Entomologist, urged growers and their crop advisers to scout closely and to remember that these worms tend to congregate in hiding places, like under dirt clods, in mid day.

Curt Johnson, a crop consultant in southeast Arkansas, said that worms were apparently hitting wheat on one of his grower's farms. Johnson, who isn't checking the grower's wheat but is working other crops, said the farmer asked why birds were clipping the heads on wheat. "The birds are looking for the worms that are clipping the heads," Johnson replied.

We'll have more about this in AgFax: Southern Grain later in the week.

CLICK HERE to hear our interview with Gus Lorenz regarding the advisory.

-- Owen Taylor

You can't believe everything you hear on the radio

If you're not familiar with the concept of 16th Section land, these tracts were set aside for funding local schools as townships were surveyed and established west of the Appalachian Mountains. Most states sold these sections to build the early schools.

But in Mississippi, the state held onto the land and empowered local counties to rent out the acreage for farming or other purposes. Portions of several cities in the state are actually built on this land, and people take out long-term leases for the lots on which they've built homes and businesses.

Most of this land, though, is in some kind of agricultural production, and keen competition often develops when 16th Section leases come up for bidding and renewal.

Which brings us to this story that happened years ago in a Delta county...

The school board, as was the procedure, rented some awfully productive farm land for five years at a time to the highest bidder. And, of course, the bids were sealed. All this happened before the coming of cell phones, back when people relied on "private line" radios that weren't really all that private. Some businesses shared frequencies, plus plenty of folks had scanners and snooped in on radio conversations.

As it would happen, some of the nosy folk also were farmers.

This fellow had been renting a section of school land and did not welcome the idea of losing those profitable acres. But it was not a question of would the rent go up. How much it would go up was the question. So, the man and his son cooked up the deal.

They would engage in conversation over their radios as to the bid they were submitting and their agreed dollar amount, knowing full well those scanners would be running. And then the dirty deed was done.

Over their radios the father urgently asked his son, "Are you sure you have the correct bid number?" His son replied, "Yes sir, we are bidding $30.25 per acre for five years.

Well, the next morning at 9 a.m. the sealed bids were opened. A whole bunch of them were in the range of $30.00 to $34.50. The gentleman's bid of $35.05 was the last one to be opened that morning. There was a bunch of shocked and sick bidders. I don't know what ever happened to those scanners.

It is much the same today. You can't put a whole lot of faith in what you hear on the radio. Especially when the topic is politics or weather. It looks like rain here.

(PS: For more on 16th Section land, click here.)

--Tom Crumby

Alabama's New Precision Ag Portal

Alabama's Cooperative Extension Service has launched a new precision ag (PA) web site that carries PA news, technology overviews, updates on current projects, event announcements, equipment manuals and Extension publications and presentations.

The URL: www.alabamaprecisionagonline.com

Late Corn or Make a Change

So the story goes, back when corn was raised to feed the mules, the elderly farmer was leaving the bank of a Central MS Delta town. A young fellow apporached him and asked, "Sir, you always make a good corn crop. When is the best time to plant corn"? The old fellow replied, "March". To which the young man further inquired, "Well, when is the second best time to plant corn?" The gentleman again said calmly, "March". So with just a hint of frustration, the young fellow pressed on, "Well, what if you can't get your corn planted in March?" The old fellow calmly replied, "Wait until next March".

The modern corn varieties of today are certainly more adapted to the summer weather conditions of the Mid-South. And cotton and soybeans are certainly well adapted to July and August weather conditions. Maybe you can find the old gentleman and get his advice. Otherwise, visit with your local agchemical company reps or your Extension agent.

I'm glad that is a decision I do not have to make.

--Tom Crumby