Equipment Resources
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The main objective of this fact sheet is to provide a checklist of what is needed to properly prepare a center pivot or lateral irrigation system for the production season. All of the topics covered apply to both pivot and lateral irrigation systems, but for brevity, only center pivots will be referenced. By using the items in this fact sheet as a guideline for preventative maintenance, most breakdowns during the growing season should be avoided.
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The lack of proper planter setup and maintenance results in common planting mistakes that affects crop stand and yield every year. Growers can easily avoid these mistakes by following a few simple steps at the beginning of the planting season to ensure proper planter setup for maximized field performance. This simple and easy-to-follow checklist provides tips on how to properly set up different planter components to achieve a high and uniform stand establishment across the field. The checklist also includes a visual to identify the components available on a typical row-crop planter.
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With rising fuel prices it is increasingly important that irrigation systems apply water uniformly in order to achieve maximum benefit from the water applied. The uniformity of water application under a center pivot is determined by setting out cans or rain gauges along the length of the pivot, bringing the irrigation system up to proper operating pressure, and letting the system pass over them.
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This publication covers routine maintenance and troubleshooting for common motorized equipment (small engine) that is used by small farmers and gardeners. Gardening and landscape equipment can be an expensive investment for both consumers and professionals. However, quality equipment can last a lifetime when cared for properly. Typically, you get what you pay for when it comes to equipment. Higher quality equipment certainly costs more upfront, but usually has fewer problems and will tend to outlast bargain-type tools. With name-brand equipment, parts also tend to be
more readily available. We recommend that you purchase the best equipment you can afford and learn how to take proper care of your equipment to protect your investment. For the garden and landscape, motorized equipment can include everything from a string trimmer to a full-size garden tractor. Most garden equipment is powered by either a two-cycle or four-cycle engine. Two-cycle motors mostly are found on smaller handheld equipment, such as chainsaws, tillers, and trimmers. Four-cycle motors typically are found on larger equipment such as lawnmowers, tillers, and garden tractors, which have separate reservoirs for their gas and engine oil. When properly maintained, both types of motors are quite reliable. Sometimes, very basic issues may keep motors from functioning well. All motors require three basic things to run properly: fuel, fire, and air. If any one or more of these three elements is lacking, the engine will either run poorly or not run at all.|
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This publication provides information on pulse width modulation (PWM) technology including its working principle, components, benefits, and best management practices for its optimal utilization on agricultural sprayers. Agricultural sprayers are commonly used for pesticide applications and come in various design types and sizes, including three-point hitch, pull-behind, and self-propelled. During pesticide applications, maintaining a target application rate across the whole field is important for effective pest management. On sprayers with traditional flow-based control systems, the liquid flow rate is regulated to account for ground speed variations by adjusting the spray pressure. However, this becomes an issue when spray pressure reaches outside the narrow operating range of the selected nozzle and results in non-uniform droplet size and pattern. Higher spray pressures at faster travel speeds produce finer droplets which are more prone to spray drift; applications at lower pressures produce coarser spray droplets and reduce spray fan angle. Pulse width modulation technology was developed to overcome this pressure variation issue; pulse width modulation does not rely on spray pressure to regulate system flow rate with changes in ground speed. In pulse width modulation systems, the flow rate is varied by changing the intermittent cycling of the electronically actuated solenoid valves while the system pressure remains constant throughout the boom.
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Applicators used in granular applications should be calibrated to ensure uniformity and accuracy. An accurate and uniform application can reduce the quantity of an active ingredient required for a given degree of control.
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Properly maintaining, calibrating, and adjusting a seed drill before planting is an important part of ensuring the successful establishment of forage or cover crops. Seed may be placed at a depth that is too deep or too shallow if the equipment is not properly prepared and set. Too much or too little seed may be planted if the equipment is not properly calibrated. These planting mistakes may result in a poor stand, greater weed competition, lower yields, and/or reductions in forage quality. Conversely, planting more seed than required can unnecessarily increase establishment costs and can sometimes result in reduced yields. After investing in the seed and committing the time to plant a field, taking a few extra steps to ensure that investment bears fruit is well worth maintaining, calibrating, and adjusting the drill.
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Boom sprayer calibration using conventional methods (catching flow for certain time or distance) for large (60-90 ft; 54-72 nozzles) boom sprayers can be a time-consuming process. This short publication outlines steps to take to verify nozzle output and calibrate a boom sprayer, including tables with useful information on flow rates at multiple speeds for two common nozzle spacings and an equation for calculating rates if needed.
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Use estos cinco pasos para el corte de un árbol de forma segura de principio a fin. Este plan funciona para arboristas profesionales y los que no lo son. Cortar árboles con una motosierra es peligroso. La combinación de herramientas eléctricas y la caída de madera crea peligros. La aplicación del Plan de Corte de Cinco Pasos ayuda a identificar y mitigar el peligro en el corte de árboles de principio a fin.
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