Delivering consistent blight coverage with 3D ninety
Achieving complete coverage of the potato canopy is essential to protect against blight, which East Yorkshire grower, Robert Kendall, believes he can now better achieve with the new Syngenta 3D ninety nozzle.
Testing the 3D ninety nozzle
Switching to the new nozzles when they first became available mid-season, he reported close inspection of leaves after application showed improved coverage of all leaves, compared to original Potato Nozzles he had previously used.
“We did get good results with the Potato Nozzle, but they were inclined to be a bit drifty in anything but ideal conditions. The 3D ninety, applying the same 200 litres per hectare we have always used, seems to give better coverage and retain more product on the leaf than we achieved before,” he reported.
Robert added he was initially wary of the coarse appearance of the spray pattern, but the results on the leaf have been clearly visible – and the results in terms of blight control have been excellent. Furthermore, when the finer spray pattern of conventional nozzles can be disrupted by wind gusts, the 3D ninety pattern has remained far more consistent.
“With the need to maintain seven-to-eight day blight spray intervals, there’s precious little room for weather disruption or waiting for the perfect conditions,” he pointed out.
Enhanced spray operation
Robert welcomed the chance to operate at the 3D ninety at a higher pressure - around 4 bar - that he considers enhances overall coverage through the canopy, whilst still retaining the drift reduction capability. There is always the option to reduce the pressure to the recommended optimum 2.5 bar if the wind gets up during an application, to complete blight spraying, he added.
His blight programme on the 75 hectares of potatoes, grown around Little Wauldby Farm, Swanland, near Hull, typically starts when the crops reach 100–125 mm across – depending on weather conditions and risk at the time. The aim is to maintain a seven-day programme that might be slightly extended in low pressure periods, but with the flexibility to tighten up to five days, by alternating products, if the risk increases.
All about the angle
The steeper 55⁰ angle of the 3D ninety nozzle, specifically designed for the coarser droplet spectrum, is particularly good at getting the spray pattern into larger potato crop canopies later in the season. Being able to use the same nozzle for all blight applications throughout the season on his Sands 24-m self-propelled sprayer is more convenient and efficient.
The farm’s entire potato crop is sold through the Driffield-based Whole Crop Marketing (WCM), of which Robert is a Director, principally for the pre-pack market and processing.
Having successfully used the 3D ninety for the season’s potato blight treatments, this autumn Robert will be looking to utilise the drift reduction and improved consistent coverage they can achieve for pre-emergence herbicide applications in wheat too.
Discover the next step in 3D technology
Find out more about the 3D ninety here:
