Knapsack spraying cabbage

Many cabbage crops are grown from transplanted young plants. At the early growth stages these vulnerable plants easily lose the competition for light, water and nutrients. To grow a well-established crop, early weed control is essential but be careful to follow guidance if applying herbicides before and after planting.

All plants of the Brassica family, including cabbages, have very waxy leaves. You can see that these rain drops have rolled down the sloping leaf and are retained in larger pools of water at this point here.

The operator has to make sure, that not only are the pesticide sprays deposited where the pest or disease threatens the plant’s health, but also that the pesticide deposits are retained on the cabbages’ waxy leaf surfaces. The location of the pest or disease may be on both the upper and lower sides of the leaves or deep within its developing centre; the valuable part of the plant that is to be harvested and consumed.

This label advises the use of fine sprays as the small drops are more likely to be retained on the waxy leaves. Hollow cone and cone nozzles and high sprayer pressures produce these fine sprays and project them in a pattern such that every leaf surface is uniformly treated.

At stated stages of the cabbages’ development, water volumes may need to be changed. Sometimes, higher water rates are advised to ensure that some spray rolls down the sloping leaf to be retained in its axis. Follow your pesticide label’s advice for the use of preferred nozzle types, water volumes, drop sizes and spraying pressures that are likely to be best for your cabbage crop, growing under your conditions. Also follow your pesticide label’s advice as to the appropriate PPE to wear.