The tank should be made of corrosion-resistant material. Materials used in sprayer tanks include stainless steel, polyethene plastic and fibreglass. Pesticides may be corrosive to certain materials. Avoid using incompatible materials like Aluminium ,galvanized or steel tanks . Some chemicals react with these materials, which can end in reduced effectiveness of the pesticide, or rust or corrosion inside the tank.
Keep tanks clean and freed from rust, scale, dirt, and other contaminants which may damage the pump and nozzles. Also, contamination may collect within the nozzle and restrict the flow of chemical, leading to improper spray patterns and rates of application. Litter can obstruct strainers and constrain the flow of spray through the system.
The tank should be flushed with clean water after spraying. A tank with a drain cork at rock bottom near one end helps allow complete drainage. A tank with alittle sump within the bottom is another excellent alternative. An opening within the top large enough for internal inspection, cleaning, and repair may be a necessity.
The capacity of the tank must be known to feature the right amount of pesticide. Recent tanks have capacity records on the side. If your tank isn’t translucent, it should have a sight gauge to point the fluid level. The sight gauge should have a shut-off valve at rock bottom to permit closing just in case of injury . On plastic and fibreglass tanks, marks are often placed on the side of the tank. Your sprayer should be sitting on level ground when reading the litres remaining within the tank. Incorrect volume readings cause improper amounts of pesticide to be added, which may end in poor pest control, crop injury, or increased pesticide cost.
TANK AGITATORS
An agitator within the tank is required to combine the spray material uniformly and keep chemicals in suspension.
The need for agitation depends on the sort of pesticide applied. Those requiring just a little agitation includes Liquid concentrations, soluble powders, and emulsifiable liquids. To have wettable powders in suspension intense agitation is required. Therefore a separate agitator, either a hydraulic or mechanical type, is required. Hydraulic jet type is operated by a pressure created from the pump. The hydraulic jet agitator should be positioned within the tank to supply agitation throughout the tank. A 20 to 24 litres flow rate for each 400-litre tank capacity is usually adequate for an orifice jet agitator. Several types of venturi-suction agitators are available that help stirs the liquid with less flow. With these, the agitation be due the pump are often reduced to 8 or 12 litres per 400-litre tank capacity.
A jet agitator shouldn’t be installed on the pressure regulator bypass line, as low and intermittent liquid flow will usually produce poor results. Agitate will occur only when the spray boom is shut off.
A mechanical agitator with a shaft and paddles will do a superb job of maintaining a consistent mixture but is typically more costly than a jet agitator. Mechanical agitators must be operated by a separate drive, hydraulic motor or 12-volt motor . 100 to 200 RPM is adequate. Foaming of the spray solution can result from higher speeds.Adjustable agitators are desirable to attenuate the foaming which will occur with vigorous agitation of certain pesticides because the volume within the tank decreases. With the tank partly filled, agitation should be started and before pesticides are added to the tank. With wettable powders and flowable, still agitate while filling the tank and through visit the sector . Don’t allow pesticides to settle because the spray mix must be kept uniform to avoid concentration error. This is especially important with wettable powders because they don’t dissolve, they’re usually much heavier than water, and that they are extremely difficult to urge them in suspension after they have settled at the tank and hoses