Interaction between pressure and drop size under electronic instrumentation on a pressurized CO2 sprayer

• Main Authors: Raul Rodolfo Francischetti Gabriel, Fábio Henrique Rojo Baio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade Federal de Goiás 2013-06-01
• Series: Pesquisa Agropecuária Tropical
• Subjects: Agricultural machinery; crop spraying; pesticides
• Online Access: https://www.revistas.ufg.br/pat/article/view/19792

The most popular agricultural sprayer used to determine the effectiveness and dosage of pesticides is the backpack sprayer pressurized by CO2, which allows the application of small volumes of pesticides, on the exact amount needed in experimental plots with small areas. However, these sprayers cannot keep the working pressure for a long application time, affecting the application rate and drop size. This study aimed at evaluating the pressure changes on the hydraulic circuit of a backpack sprayer pressurized by CO2 and the influence of the tank spraying volume over the drop size and application rate. Pressure transducers were mounted on the hydraulic pressure circuit, the electrical signals were recorded by a data monitor and the drop size was measured with the aid of water sensitive paper. There was a reduction on the hydraulic circuit pressure of the sprayer, during the spraying, despite the volume used in the tank. The highest pressure variation occurred with the application rate of 100.0 L ha-1, followed by 150.0 L ha-1 and 200.0 L ha-1. Thus, the lowest application rate, the highest was the pressure variation, independently of the tank volume. The drop size increased according to the pressure reduction on the hydraulic circuit.