unspent cares funding Avoid the Pests of Tank-Mixing Pesticides

Tank-mixing pesticides is a rou tine procedure among farm ers. It is common for farmers to mix various combinations of pesticides, as well as mix ing them with other products such as fertilizers, plant amendments, and biologicals. With so many variables and compatibility to consider, it is easy to make mistakes. These mistakes can prove to be ineffective in the removal of pests, or even cause crop damage.

Some mistakes commonly made are often simply failing to read and follow the directions on the label, combining products that have not been jar tested, not understanding mixing order, and using an insufficient amount of water in the sprayer tank. Here are a few tips to avoid these errors.

The product labels usually have the information you need for mixing and handling the product, and some also include information on other products that may or may not also be added to the tank. The labels may also tell you how to do a compatibility test to see if some products that have been specifically mentioned may be added to the mix. You cannot bake a cake with just an idea in your head, you have to know what ingredients you need, the measurements of those ingredients, and the order that they are added to the bowl.

A jar test is a great way to test the compatibility of products, instead of mixing large volumes of products in the spray tank that could lead to a large amount of waste. Compatibility factors can be product formulation, water pH and hardness, the number of products being tank mixed, and the mixing order. Compatibility occurs physically and chemically. When a mix is not physically compatible the product fails to disperse or dissolve into the solution. Physical incompatibility is visible. Chemical incompatibility is harder to detect but not impossible. It may be seen as a color change, temperature change, and/or the production of an odor or gas. Jar tests are particularly helpful when mixing products with a liquid fertilizer, and when mixing more than two products in water. The product labels usually provide the instructions for a jar test, but Purdue University has a great guide on avoiding tank-mixing errors that includes detailed instructions.

Mixing order is crucial for tank-mixing. Just like baking a cake. It is a science. If you add the ingredients out of order you will likely come out with a very dense, dry, crumbly cake. You may use all the right products, but adding them out of order can lead to disaster. The product labels often offer mixing order tips. Or you can use the acronym WALES. W - wettable powders and water-dispersible granules. A - agitate tank, mix thoroughly. L -liquid flowables and suspensions. E - emulsifiable concentrate formulations. S - surfactant/solution. Understand though that this is simply a guide and some products may need to be added in a different order, usually listed on the label.

Ultimately, many mistakes can be avoided by simply reading the label. Most of the information necessary for testing compatibility and knowing the mixing order is written on the label of the product.