When was the Last Time You Replaced Spray Tips?

Keeping a consistent spray pattern is very important for optimum weed control. Products like Liberty^® herbicide and Sharpen^® herbicide need excellent coverage on weed foliage for maximal control. As tips wear over time, there is a risk of an inconsistent spray pattern, which can lead to poor weed control. It is suggested to check your spray pattern occasionally throughout the spray season. Plugged nozzle tips are often easy to spot, but worn tips still allow product to flow through them, which can result in larger droplets or improper flow rates.

📸: BASF employee/Featuring pattern test on a sprayer.

Depending on the nozzle design and internal components, spray tips will wear at different rates. Products that are used in the sprayer will also influence spray tip wear. SC formulations and dry products can often lead to accelerated aging of the spray tip as compared to other liquid formulations. In the Midwest, atrazine and other SC products are used so frequently that applicators all need to assume their spray tips wear out over time.

📸: BASF employee/Featuring pulse-width sprayer applying a pesticide.

Consult with your spray tip or equipment manufacturer for guidelines on timelines for nozzle tip replacement. The range will likely vary based on how many acres each sprayer covers and product type, but getting a starting point on when to check may help. Each sprayer may have multiple sets of nozzle types on the turret, so be sure to check each set. It may be that only one set needs replaced each year, or even just a few nozzles within a set of tips.

Liberty and Sharpen are registered trademarks of BASF.