By
Jason Deveau - Application Technology Specialist/OMAFRA
Given that there's no spraying going on outdoors in January, I've decided to hijack my own sound advice report to tell you about some upcoming educational opportunities for airblast sprayer operators.
The first is a series of talks for orchard producers. I'll be presenting the results of trials we did last season to optimize airblast sprayer output to match the size and shape of the trees. The talks are February 14th starting at 4pm at Colsanti's Tropical Gardens in Kingsville, February 15th starting at 8am at the Little River Inn in Simcoe, on February 16th at 8:30 am at the Newcastle & District Rec Complex in Newcastle, and on February 16th at 4:30 pm at the Marsh Street Centre in Clarksburg. RSVP to 1-800-265-5444 ext 5917 or email cswanson@uap.ca to ensure you get a seat.
The second is, of course, the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Convention. On February 23 in Room 203 we're doing a session on sprayer technology. I speak at 9:30 about the optimization trials (again), Helmut Spieser will talk about using water sensitive paper at 10:00, Dr. Bernard Panneton is coming in from Quebec to talk about how much air is needed in airblast spraying at 10:30 and Dr. Heping Zhu is coming up from Ohio to talk about reducing pesticide rates in nurseries at 11:00.
Finally, we developed a new series of workshops that will be piloted this year. Airblast Sprayers 101 is 3 hour interactive workshop that will provide attendees with tips and tricks on airblast calibration, maintenance and matching sprayer output to your crop. Bring your sprayer pressure gauges for a free accuracy test and receive a sample of water-sensitive paper and a comprehensive workbook. CCA credits will be offered. Dates and times are still being set, but we plan to do one in Simcoe, one in Woodstock, one in Meaford and one in Harrow in March. Class sizes are limited to 15 per workshop, so call Croplife at 416.622.9771 to pre-register and get details on dates and times.
So, there's a lot going on in airblast education over the next few months. If you spray in nurseries, berry crops, orchards or grapes, try to attend one of the talks or workshops.
For more information see the OMAFRA website or contact me at jason.deveau@ontario.ca.
Source: OMAFRA