Performance of tractor-mounted hydraulic sprayer nozzles

An experiment was conducted during 2007-08 on the nozzles used in the tractor-mounted hydraulic sprayer for their flow rate, swath width and spray distribution. The test nozzle was fitted in a compression sprayer and tests carried out with lindane wettable powder dispersion in tap water. The flow rate and swath widths were determined at 0.7-5.6 kg/cm(2) pressures. The spray distribution in the swath was determined at 2.1-4.2 kg/cm(2) pressures. The data from 5 replicates were analyzed by SPSS statistical software. The flow rate ranged from 273.7 +/- 35.4 to 10 11.7 +/- 93.5 ml/min. in the pressure range of 0.7-5.6 kg/cm(2). The swath width ranged from 85.6 +/- 3.2 to 154.6.0 +/- 11.2 cm in the pressure range of 0.7-5.6 kg/cm(2). The spray density ranged from 0.00092 +/- 0.0003 to 0.1576 +/- 0.0064 ml/cm(2). The maximum density was found in the annular region of 17.5-22.5 cm from the centre with only 30% of the total spray volume deposited in this region. The region 37.5-42.5 cm received 7.13% of the spray with a cumulative deposit of 77.4% of the total spray up to this region. The wide variation in the flow rate, the swath width and spray density indicates the possible spray loss in the pesticide applications using tractor-mounted sprayers.