Many of you are considering spraying your paddocks for broadleaf weeds (eg capeweed) and need to know how much chemical to apply? The answer can be found by reading the label, which will then tell you how much to apply per hectare.

You then ask, but how much chemical do I put in my spray tank? The answer to this depends on the volume of your tank, and what area you will cover when it is full.

The easiest way to determine your application rate of water is to do a trial run.

1. Clean, rinse and fill your tank with a given volume of water, say 10L.

2. Set your tractor, car or bike in a suitable and recorded gear and rev range and travel along until you have sprayed out the 10 L of water, then measure the distance in meters you have travelled (A).

3. Then multiply the distance travelled (A) by the spray width of the boom (B) in meters.

A x B = C (area sprayed in square meters with 10 litres of water)

4. Assuming you have a full tank volume of 100L, multiply the area you have covered with 10L (C) by 10, to calculate the ìareaî you will cover with a full tank (D). Note if you have a 200L tank you multiply by 20, and so on.

C x 10 (for 100L tank) = D (area covered with a full tank)

5. To calculate the proportion of one hectare you have covered (E), with a full tank (D) divide by 10,000, as there are 10,000 square meters in a hectare.

D ˜ 10,000 = E (proportion of one hectare covered with a full tank)

Note: to ensure adequate coverage of herbicide, it is best practice to apply at least 100L of water per hectare. If applying less than 100L, you need to reduce your speed and repeat the procedure above. If you are using in excess of 200L/ha, you may need to increase your speed, and repeat the test.

6. Then you calculate the amount of herbicide you need to add to a full tank, by looking up the required amount of chemical (F), as outlined on the label as an application rate per hectare. You then multiply the area (E) by the application rate (F), to give you the amount of chemical you add to a full tank.

Amount of chemical to add to the tank = E x F

Remember to read the label thoroughly; it will save you time and money in the long run, and ensure your safety.

We now Have a range of liquid soil conditioners from Organic Crop Protectants (OCP). These eco-Flow products include Gypsum, Dolomite and Lime. These are available in 2 litre and 20 litre packs and provide a more rapid improvement in soil conditions compared to more traditional powdered forms which have a larger particle size. These solutions can be simply diluted down and sprayed over the intended area.

The liquid form allows for DYI application of Lime, Gypsum and Dolomite, as the traditional application of granular/powdered forms require a significant amount of product to achieve a result. For example application rates of powdered lime are in the order of 2.5 tonne per hectare, At these rates it is not practical to apply it yourself and a contractor or spreader truck is required. With eco-flow lime only 1 litre of liquid is equivalent to the clay breaking capacity of 40kg of powdered lime.

We carry a range of OCP products that specialise in integrated pest and disease management and improving the health of you soils.