Improperly calibrated equipment can quickly dissolve a grower’s checkbook. Many of us recognize that. But no matter how careful we are with calibration, it won’t do much good if we don’t successfully deliver those chemicals and other materials.
For example, growers are gravitating to aggressive spray and injection programs to battle disease and boost profits. Yet lack of line [emember_protected custom_msg=”Click here and register now to read the rest of the article!”]maintenance can undermine those efforts. We can’t expect our investment to pay off like it should if we don’t also invest in upkeeping our lines. When irrigation jets are clogged or missing, when there is no uniformity in the delivery method, we are not getting the job done right.
It’s best to work on our waterlines before we do injections. Yes, there are labor expenses, but we save on the chemicals we would waste because they were improperly applied. So set an aggressive budget for waterlines and be willing to spend what it takes – before beginning those injections.
Liquid fertilizers can easily dislodge algae and other organisms in your lines. Flush every line. And instruct your sprayer operator to check and see if every sprayer jet is working properly.
CREDITS
column by Brad Weihrauch
BIO: Brad Weihrauch is a Polk County native. He grew up around a family business of agriculture and customer service. After Winter Haven High School, he went on to complete his education at Polk Community College and Warner Southern. After serving 17 years in customer service for a large retailer, Weihrauch returned to his agriculture roots and founded RWC, an agri-service and management company, in 2002.
[/emember_protected]
