Monday, April 25, 2011

Spray Rig

     This, is a Spray Rig.


     A Spray Rig or Sprayer is an implement that is designed to spread liquids over large areas. On the day these photos were taken, this sprayer was spraying fertilizer (nitrogen) and selective herbicide. The nitrogen feeds the plants and the selective herbicide attempts to kill most plants that aren't wheat. Most of the volume in the tank will be water with the active agents mixed in.


     To spread over  a wide area it helps to have great, big, wide arms. The little hanging down parts on the end can drop little blobs of foam to mark the edge of the already sprayed area.


     It's a very complex machine, and you don't so much drive as pilot a sprayer. It's got a joystick for a throttle that has many controls on it. Disappointingly, none of them fire missiles. The steering wheel, rather than turning the wheels, actually flexes the middle of the machine which bends between the cab and holding tank. A spray rig is covered with pipes and valves. Some of the myriad of switches, knobs and levers control those. Though I'm assured it's much easier than it looks, I don't think I believe it.


     When a field is completely sprayed, the booms fold up in a somewhat complex manner and the driver moves on to the next one. Not long ago, most of this was done by a custom specialist. Now many farmers do their own spraying to save money.
     By removing the competition from these fields, a farmer increases his yield. The nitrogen increases the growth rate of the wheat, also increasing the yield. That means more wheat and eventually more food.

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