Knapsack spraying rice

Walking through paddy fields at a constant speed is physically difficult and when spraying you are likely to come into contact with the sprayed crop. Check your pesticide label and follow the guidance on which personal protective equipment to use, carefully.

Spraying in rice is also very tiring for operators and to reduce the amount of walking operators try and get the widest spraying swath possible, by swinging the nozzle in a wide arc from one side of their body to the other side. This projects the spray for some distance but distributes the pesticide unevenly and the spray deposits on the leaves can be very variable.

In some areas of the paddy, no pesticide is deposited

whilst in other areas, too much pesticide is deposited. Spraying difficulties are made worse in the more recently introduced rice cultivars as these can grow to 1.5 metres tall and produce very dense foliage which is difficult to penetrate.

It is important to follow the advice given on the pesticide label for water volumes, pressures and nozzle types carefully, so that you produce and apply enough drops under difficult conditions.

To achieve a better spray coverage you will need to apply a fixed swath width as you traverse the paddy. Mark the field with canes one swath width apart. Spray one swath width at a time with the nozzles at the correct height as calibrated. Keep the nozzles steady, do not swing the boom from side to side. Turn the spray off when you have finished spraying your current swath before turning from one swath to the next.

This is the correct spray coverage.

Check your pesticide label for advice on good, safe spraying practices and watch our video on cleaning PPE for advice on decontaminating your PPE.