Tag: crop protection

Strawberry cultivation in greenhouses and tunnels is professionalizing rapidly. Indoor growing needs another approach to crop protection compared to outside growing. There is more pressure from diseases like botrytis and mildew, as well as from insects like spider mite and whitefly. At the same time the customers demand cleaner products.

Micothon is specialized in air supported sprayers for greenhouses and tunnels. With this technology the plant protecting products can be blown deep into the dense leaf foliage. The air support technology will assure a very good coverage of the leaves, especially on the downside. With better spray results the interval between spray turns can be longer so your costs for spray fluid will be less!

Consumers ask for transparent and clean food production. To meet these demands, the vegetable growers increasingly opt for organic based protection. These products are “softer “ compared to traditional products and are mostly contact products. So, it is extremely important that these contact agents do actually reach the pathogens or pest to kill it. Using the best possible spray technology is therefore essential. Micothon with its air support technology makes it possible for you to spray effectively while keeping the amount of needed plant protection products to a minimum.

The 10 unique properties of Micothon with regard to vegetable growing:

1. Air-assisted spraying technology results in better coverage deep inside your dense vegetable crop so you will have better spray results.
2. Better spray results mean less spray rounds and bring you up to 50% savings on your costs for crop protection products.
3. With Micothon you need less spray rounds, so you also have less labour costs.
4. Every sprayturn the plants will get stress and will stop growing half a day. So, less sprayturns with your Micothon gives you more growth and brings you up to 10 % more money for your tomatoes, cucumbers or peppers.
5. Micothon produces professional and reliable machines that guarantee you to be ready when you need them.
6. High quality through use of stainless steel brings you a long lifespan.
7. Fully Automatic operation for carefree operation.
8. 4-wheel drive and wall sensors guarantee you a precise operation at the side walls
9. A 400 volt power supply means no standstill and waiting due to empty batteries.
10. You will have an extensive range of programme options to make you spray less and better.

Roses are the most cultivated ornamental under glass. The development of pests such as aphids, thrips, spider mite and whitefly has taken off at a rapid pace in recent years. Factors contributing to this include an increase in the amount of growing light, the limiting of plant protection products and the introduction of new cultivation systems. It has become increasingly clear that the modern grower can no longer get by without a solid crop protection plan.

Micothon assists modern rose growers with a fully automatic spraying robot with a unique air assisted technology. This brings you a significant reduction of plant protecting products and also in large savings in terms of labour costs and time.

The 10 advantages of Micothon in the cultivation of roses:

1. Air-assisted spraying technology results in better coverage deep inside your dense rose crop so you will have better spray results.
2. Better spray results mean less spray rounds and bring you up to 50% savings on your costs for crop protection products.
3. With Micothon you need less spray rounds, so you also have less labour costs.
4. Every sprayturn the plants will get stress and will stop growing half a day. So, less sprayturns with your Micothon gives you more growth and brings you up to 10 % more money for your roses.
5. Micothon produces professional and reliable machines that guarantee you to be ready when you need them.
6. High quality through use of stainless steel brings you a long lifespan.
7. Fully Automatic operation for carefree operation.
8. 4-wheel drive and wall sensors guarantee you a precise operation at the side walls
9. Sprayer can be equipped with a baywide sprayboom for high capacity
10. You will have an extensive range of programme options to make you spray less and better.

Due to the fact that gerberas have very dense foliage, combating pest, and particularly whitefly, can be quite a challenge. While the number of available plant protection products keeps growing smaller, partly because of resistance, partly because of stricter policies concerning permitted products, the importance of spraying technology to gerbera cultivation is growing all the time.

The 10 advantages of Micothon in the cultivation of gerberas:

1. Air-assisted spraying technology results in better coverage and less growth inhibition
2. Up to 50% savings on the purchase of ppp’s and on labour costs
3. Professional and reliable machine with a thorough testing programme
4. Rustproof through use of stainless steel
5. Automatic operation without failures – any breakdown is immediately reported by mobile phone message
6. With a 4-wheel drive spray unit there is no slipping
7. Wall sensors/detectors guarantee precise operation along side walls
8. Various subsidy options (e.g. Groen Label [Green Label])
9. Option for high capacity trellywide spraying and Duponchelia treatment
10. Extensive range of programme options, such 3 to 6 possible spraying speeds

There may be a time when you want to combine and apply two or more pesticides plus fertilizer for either convenience, to save money, or to reduce equipment wear. When you do combine ingredients you are creating what is known as a tank mix. Tanks mixes can consist of a fungicide and an insecticide to control both a fungus and insects at the same time. Sometimes you may want to mix a pesticide with fertilizer, or mix two herbicides together to increase weed control. Tank mixes save time, labor, money, equipment wear, and crop damage. However if you mix with Improper combinations you can cause phytotoxicity to crops or ornamental plants, damage equipment and in the long run spend more money.

When choosing to tank-mix various chemicals, the applicator should always be aware of which pesticides can and can’t be mixed. You can find this information on the label in what is called a pesticide label compatibility chart. So read the label after all it is the law! However, unless expressly prohibited by a pesticide’s label, mixing is legal.

There may be times when you want to mix more than two active ingredients or confirm that two different inert ingredients such as emulsifiers and wetting agents will mix properly. If this is the case you must take precautions as pesticide label compatibility charts usually refer to only two pesticide active ingredients. So how do you know if the pesticide formulations you want to mix are compatible or not?

Pesticides Compatibility Testing

When pesticides don’t mix together properly or will not form a uniform solution the formulations you have combined are considered incompatible. Incompatible solutions will end up with flakes, crystals, oily clumps or noticeable separation. Another symptom of incompatible solutions will be heat generating from the mixture. When a solution is incompatible it will clog nozzle heads, limit distribution uniformity of the active ingredient, costing you valuable time and money. Impurities in your spray tank, the order in which you mixed the pesticides, the types of formulations being mixed water temperature, and the amount of time the mixture has sat in the tank are reasons for incompatibility to occur.

The 2-Jar Test for Compatibility

A sure way to insure the formulations you are mixing are compatible is to use a standard 2-jar compatibility test. By using two jars for mixing various pesticides and fertilizers, you can determine compatibility before you tank mix. When performing compatibility tests, remember you must wear the personal protective equipment listed on the most restrictive label.

1. Measure 1 pint of carrier (water or liquid fertilizer) to each of 2 quart jars.

2. Add ¼ teaspoon of compatibility agent to one jar, but not the second jar (equivalent to 2 pints per 100 gallons of spray solution). Compatibility agents are adjuvants used to reduce incompatibility (lack of mixing) of pesticides or pesticide and liquid fertilizer mixtures. Types of compatibility agent products include Blendex® and Unite®.

3. Wettable powders, water dispersible granules, and dry flowables: add 1 tablespoon for each pound per 100 gallons of final spray mixture. Shake slightly to simulate agitation.

4. Water-soluable concentrates, solutions, and flowables add 1 teaspoon for each pint per 100 gallons of final spray mixture. Shake slightly to simulate agitation.

5. Emulsifiable concentrates: add 1 teaspoon for each pint per 100 gallons of final spray mix. Shake slightly to simulate agitation.

6. Soluble powders: add 1 teaspoon for each pint per 100 gallons of final spray mix. Shake slightly to simulate agitation.

7. Remaining adjuvants: add 1 teaspoon for each pint per 100 gallons of final spray mixture. Shake slightly to simulate agitation.

8. After 15 minutes of letting the jars stand, feel the sides of the jars to check for heat emission. If so, a chemical reaction may be occurring, indicating incompatibility. Let the mixture stand another 15 minutes and check again for heat.

9. After standing for 30 minutes, compare the component of the 2 jars and decide:
a. Jar with no compatibility agent has dispersed ingredients with no flaking, layer separation, formation of gels, etc., then the mixture is compatible and no compatibility agent is necessary.
b. Compare with jar that contains compatibility agent.
c. If the components are not dispersed in either jar, the pesticide-carrier mixture is not compatible and should not be used.