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Coles County, Illinois | Recirculating booms and stainless tanks kinda are for addressing the same issue. Contamination. Atrazine and any "L" (like 4L) chemicals are really just suspensions of powdered active ingredients. Labels will usually say things like "Constant agitation required." Plastic tanks aren't as smooth as stainless so if one allows the mix to settle out there's more places for the granules to stick to. Another place is the boom. Since a non-recirculating boom is a dead head there isn't any agitation keeping the granules from settling out.
A well designed sprayer will have a sparge tube running near the bottom of the tank. It will impart a rolling motion of the liquid that keeps the granules in suspension. Another virtue of a well designed sprayer is the ability to hold constant pressure while emptying the tank nearly out. This is normally solved by having a sump formed below the main part of the tank. This is easier done with a molded plastic tank. Where a stainless tank would require more extensive cutting/welding/labor ect.
To get around these issues I use my 80 gallon clean water rinse tank at the end of each day. I don't leave Atrazine or any "L" chemical (actually generic Liberty is the only thing I consider leaving in the tank) mixes in my tanks overnight. I use spray balls to rinse the entire inside of my tank with clean water and spray the rinsate out the booms in the field before quiting. The fact that my sprayer will spray effectively down to 5 gallons left in the sprayer makes this a 10 minute, very effective cleanout. A downside to this is the next day I have to charge my booms as they're just full of water. | |
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Advise for first sprayer
