039: Effective Vineyard Spraying with Dr. Andrew Landers

A common conversation in vineyard management is knowing how to spray your vineyard effectively. On today's episode, we have a conversation with Dr. Andrew Landers, who wrote the book on vineyard spraying. He brings more than 30 years of research and development on vineyard and orchard spraying technologies and techniques to share with us. In this episode, we discuss various tools and techniques to get the most out of your equipment and your product. This ranges from backpack sprayers when first starting to the best types of nozzles and how to calibrate your equipment for the most effective-sized droplets. Blasting clouds of spray into the air is a waste of product and something we'd like to leave in our past. Dr. Landers focuses on effectively getting the droplets from the nozzle to the plant and ensuring long-lasting equipment and a well-sprayed vineyard. Listen in to learn all about effectively spraying your vineyard and helping your grapes thrive. In this episode, you will hear: What factors affect an effective spray, and why air blasting is a thing of the past. Strategies for optimizing sprayer airflow and coverage. The product concentration in the tank versus the actual product rate per acre. How to know that the product is hitting the target. Difference between a canopy and herbicide nozzle. Common mistakes in vineyard spraying Sprayer technologies that Dr. Landers thinks have the most potential. Follow and Review: We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click the '+ Follow' button in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second, and it helps spread the word about the podcast. Resources: Visit effectivespraying.com to purchase Dr. Andrew Landers' book Effective Vineyard Spraying or his other books - Effective Orchard Spraying and the Farm Machinery Book. If you have questions about today's episode or other grape growing questions, go to VineyardUndergroundPodcast.com and click the Ask Fritz button.  Come grow with Fritz through VirtualViticultureAcademy.com! Save $75 off your first year of membership with the code Underground at checkout. Today's Guest: Dr. Andrew Landers is an award-winning researcher and author and currently works as a consultant in precision spray technology. Previously, he directed the application technology program for Cornell University's New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, New York, where he focused on using engineering solutions to provide more effective and safer spraying.  Connect with Andrew: Website: https://effectivespraying.com/  Email: [email protected]  Episode Sponsor: Thank you to our friends at Bahco for their sponsorship of today's episode. As innovators for more than 165 years, Bahco has introduced the most advanced tools in the world, and Bacho products are manufactured in factories across Europe. I exclusively prune with the Bacho ERGO™ Bypass Secateurs with Elastomer Coated Fixed Handle (size medium).  Visit www.bahco.com/int_en to find a dealer near you to get the best pruning tools on the market, along with hedging tools, tying tools, picking tools, and more. Episode Credits If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. Let them know we sent you.