Sprayer cleaning is a critical component of maintenance that prolongs the life of the sprayer, prevents unnecessary repairs and downtime, and prevents crop injury caused by equipment contamination. Thorough sprayer cleanout is important following all pesticide applications but is even more critical after use of certain herbicides. Serious crop injury can result from small amounts of herbicides. Without proper cleanup, crop injury from sprayer contamination can occur several months after using the sprayer and following several subsequent applications.
A K-State Research and Extension publication, MF1089 – Cleaning Field Sprayers, has been recently updated and is available online at https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/MF1089.pdf.
This helpful resource guides readers through a common procedure for cleaning sprayer equipment, outlines the best cleaning agents for different herbicides, and discusses crop injury caused by sprayer contamination.
Sarah Lancaster, Extension Weed Science Specialist
slancaster@ksu.edu
Tags: publication equipment herbicide