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Southern Alberta | The duster is NOT penetrating the crop fully. The small, atomized droplets that it produces (at the low volume and higher pressure) fog out, evaporate or settle on the surface of the crop, but penetrate...not at all.
Dupont did a number of field trials a number of years ago that proved the aerial applications were not worth it...there was hardly a statistical improvement in the overall yields from applying with a duster. Certainly not a yield gain that would make the application worth the investment. The only really significant benefit is the lack of wheel tracks and the ability to make believe you are doing something to save your crop from disease or other pests when it's too wet to run a sprayer though the field, or the crop is too tall.
Think small, controlled droplets (ASABE Classification Standard) that are recommended for fungicides, typically in the 100 to 175 micron size range, being driven into the canopy with an air blast. There's the best method of spraying to achieve maximum coverage, period.
The Nitro sprayers are 6' + tall and are ideal for late season spraying. If you can, look at Spray-Air or at the very least, an air-assist. The droplets, especially fine ones, can't rely on Mother Nature's gravity alone to penetrate a thick corn crop.
My 2 cents.
Edited by Boulevard 8/17/2010 00:49
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Why can a cropduster use 2 gpa and a coupe needs to use 20 gpa for fungicide?
