Page 47 - Grapevine Jan-Feb 2020

Around The Vineyard

the need for more disease and pest control, and
vineyards have increased their spraying to combat
these issues. Vineyard managers have been tasked
with finding the most efficient way to achieve con-
sistently better coverage with the least cost. On
Target electrostatic sprayers can provide just that,
leading to better results than standard sprayers.

“Now, more than ever, it’s extremely important
that you use a sprayer that provides complete over-
all coverage,” said Hartman. “It’s easier to control
mildew early on when you’re able to apply spray
coverage both over and under leaves while also
wrapping around the vines themselves. When you
spray with electrostatic sprayers, you’re using less
water while saving time and money. A standard
sprayer will typically use one hundred gallons per
acre sprayed, whereas our electrostatic sprayers
will only use twenty gallons over that same area.
We can spray ten acres versus a standard spray-
er’s two acres using the same two-hundred-gallon
tank. That’s an opportunity to immediately reduce
your tank fills by 80%. Add in the time lost because
of return trips to refill the tanks, and you can see
that valuable time can be recovered using elec-
trostatic sprayers. Less overall material to spread
means less time spent on the tractor, saving money
on fuel and man-hours. By using less water, we
concentrate our spray, resulting in less runoff,
minimal drift, and improved chemistry coverage.
This increased performance is especially important
in having the ability to move away from systemic
treatments and stay with contact treatments such
as those needed in the organic farming industry.”

Along with the extended use available with elec-
trostatic sprayers, Hartman tells The Grapevine
Magazine that it’s vital to perform an exact appli-
cation when spraying, so from their largest to
smallest sprayers, they all leave the shop with rate
controllers.

“The most important maintenance issue for spray-
ers is rinsing after use,” said Hartman. To make this
as easy and economical as possible, his sprayers all
have onboard rinsing tanks that are accessible with
the flip of a switch. Additionally, all of the compo-
nents needed for droplet charging in electrostatic
spraying are separately enclosed, including liquid,

877-892-5332 The Grapevine • January - February 2020 Page 45

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