CROP PROTECTION MACHINERY

Arsenio N. Resurreccion
CEAT, UPLB

• Crop protection – process of providing plants the conditions that

will make them free of weeds, pests and diseases.

 the growing stage between planting and flowering

constitutes the longest stay in the field and the most
vulnerable period of the crop.
 weeds compete with the available moisture and nutrients if
left uncontrolled.
 pests and diseases multiply above the economic threshold
levels if left uncontrolled.

• Methods of pest control:

1. Cultural control – modification of cultural practices such as

time of planting and crop rotation.

2. Ecological control – change in the environment of the crop

and the pest which favors the survival of the crop such as
flooding to kill insects and weeds.

3. Biological control – introduction of certain insects which

feed on pests, application of chemosterilants to render the
male sterile, or planting of certain plants whose odor drive
pests away.

4. Physiological control – breeding and planting of pest

resistant varieties.

5. Chemical control – application of chemicals to control

weeds, pests and diseases.

6. Flame control – use of flame for the selective burning of

weeds in crops whose stem is not injured by a short exposure
to intense heat.

7. Mechanical control – use of tools, implements and machines

to reduce or eliminate weeds and insects such as in land
preparation, cultivation and weeding.
 MECHANICAL CONTROL

• Yield losses due to uncontrolled weeds alone are significantly high.

Table 1. Yield losses due to uncontrolled weeds

CROP PERCENT YIELD LOSSES
Average Range
Lowland rice 69 37 – 97
Upland rice 79 41 – 100
Corn 50 18 – 80
Soybean 69 55 – 100
Peanut 65 35 – 94

Table 2. Manual labor use by operation for lowland rice

OPERATION MAN-DAYS/HA
Seedling preparation 7.33
Irrigation 6.24
Land preparation (carabao) 27.98
Transplanting (hand transplanting) 15.52
Fertilizer application (broadcasting) 2.76
Weeding (push-type weeder) 75.00 (38%)
Rodent control 1.84
Chemical application (spraying) 4.50
Harvesting 27.89
Threshing 11.40
Bagging and hauling 5.07
Drying 8.95
Milling 3.94
TOTAL: 198.42

• Classification of weeders:

A. By design of soil working part:

1. Blade type – rectangular, triangular and trapezoidal

shapes with cutting edges sharpened and hardened for
soil cutting and weed uprooting.

2. Tine type – straight or curved, round or square cross-

section steel rods sharply pointed and hardened at the
soil working end.
 3. Rotary type – curved spikes or paddles attached
radially to a common axle which rotate when pushed
forward to uproot and bury weeds.

B. By power source:

1. Manual weeders – hand-held or push-type weeders for

upland or lowland.

a) Hand-held weeders – utilize the blade and tine

type of soil working parts with short (< 0.5 m),
medium (< 1 m) and long (> 1 m) handles (Fig.
1).

Figure 1. Weeding hand tools

 b) Push-type weeders – utilize any of the three
types of soil working parts for upland (wheel
hoe, Fig. 2) and lowland (rotary weeder, Fig. 3)
weeding.

Figure 2. Wheel hoe (upland)

Figure 3. Rotary weeder (lowland)

 2. Animal-drawn weeders – soil working parts are
mounted on a frame or tool bar pulled by an animal
for upland weeding.

3. Tractor-drawn weeders – soil working parts are

mounted on a frame or tool bar pulled by a two-wheel
or four-wheel tractor for upland weeding.

4. Power weeders – rotary type weeder driven by its own

engine for lowland weeding.

Table 3. Performance of some weeders tested in the Philippines

Hours per Weeding Plant
Name of weeder
Ha Index, % Damage, %
Lowland weeders (rice):
Spin tiller 63 93 3
Single-row rotary 70 91 5.4
Double-row rotary 45 88 5.6
Power weeder 99 78 4.3
Upland weeders (corn):
Light blade hoe 120 86 6.2
Blade hoe 114 86 6.0
V-blade 180 81 12.3
Wheel hoe 110 94 11.5

CHEMICAL CONTROL

• Most popular way of applying chemicals in the Philippines is with

the use of knapsack sprayers.

• Sprayers are used primarily for the application of herbicides,

insecticides, fungicides and plant nutrients.

• Functions of a sprayer:

1. Break the liquid into droplets of effective size

2. Distribute the spray solution uniformly

3. Regulate the spraying rate

• Basic components:

1. Chemical supply : Tank

2. Energy source : Pump and pressure chamber

3. Atomizer : Nozzles

4. Control device : Cut-off valve

5. Conductors : Flexible hose and rigid lance

Figure 4. Knapsack sprayer

• Principles of creating hydraulic energy:

1. Pressure is created by adding air to a container with a fixed

volume of liquid (Ex. Compression sprayer)

2. Pressure is created by adding liquid to a chamber with fixed

volume of air (Ex. Knapsack sprayer)
 Figure 5. Compression sprayer

Figure 6. Operation of compression sprayer

Figure 7. Lever-operated knapsack sprayer

Figure 8. Operation of knapsack sprayer

• Nozzles:

 Performance is dependent on hydraulic energy as follows:

1. The higher the pressure, the smaller the droplets

2. The higher the pressure, the higher the flow rate

3. The higher the pressure, the wider the spray angle

 Types of nozzles:

1. Cone type – produces a cone shaped pattern of spray

which could be hollow or solid cone.

 Best suited for spraying crops because it

produces a spray in which droplets approach the
leaves from several angles.

 The pressure is high and the orifice is small.

Figure 8. Cone nozzle pattern

 2. Fan type – produces a flat pattern.

 Best suited for spraying flat surfaces as in the

application of herbicides.

 The pressure is low and the orifice is large.

Figure 9. Fan nozzle pattern

• Sprayer calibration:

 For a given sprayer, the following factors should be

determined:

1. Nozzle discharge at different pumping rates (L/min)

2. Effective working width or swath (m)

3. Walking speed (m/min)

4. Application rate (L/ha)

• Sample problems:

1. Using the results of the calibration test of a knapsack

sprayer, determine the application rate in l/ha. Effective
width or swath is 1.5 m, average walking speed is 20 m/min,
and discharge rate is 1.5 l/min.

Given: Effective width or swath = W = 1.5 m

Walking speed = S = 20 m/min
Discharge rate = q = 1.5 l/min

Required: Application rate (l/ha)

Solution:

A = area per minute = W X S = 1.5 m X 20 m/min = 30 m2/min

10,000 m 2 / ha
T = time per hectare = = 333.33 min/ha
2
30 m /min

Q = application rate = q X T = 1.5 l/min X 333.33 min/ha

= 500 l/ha

2. The application rate of a certain insecticide is recommended

at 4 l/ha. Using the results of the calibration test of a 16-liter
knapsack sprayer, determine the amount of insecticide to
mix with water per loading of the sprayer. Discharge rate of
the sprayer is 1.2 l/min, effective width or swath is 1.5 m,
and average walking speed is 20 m/min.

Given: Insecticide application rate = 4 l/ha

Sprayer capacity = 16 liters
Discharge rate = 1.2 l/min
Swath = W = 1.5 m
Walking speed = S = 20 m/min

Required: Amount of insecticide to mix with water per sprayer

loading
 Solution:

16 l/load
a. T1 = Time per load = = 13.33 min/load
1.2 l/min

b. A 1 = Area per load = W X S X T1

= 1.5 m X 20 m/min X 13.33 min/load
= 400 m2/load

c. X 1 = Amount of insecticide per load (ratio and proportion):

4 l/ha
= X 400 m 2 /load = 0.16 l/load
10,000 m 2 /ha

d. EXTRA:

10,000 m 2 /ha
N L = Number of loadings = = 25 loads/ha
400 m 2 /load

V T = Total volume = 25 loads/ha X 16 l/load = 400 l/ha

• Reading Assignment:

1. PAES 112:2000 Agricultural Machinery – Lever-operated

Knapsack Sprayer – Specifications
2. PAES 112:2000 Agricultural Machinery – Lever-operated
Knapsack Sprayer – Methods of Test
3. PAES 141:2005 Agricultural Machinery – Weeder –
Specifications
4. PAES 142:2005 Agricultural Machinery – Weeder –
Methods of Test

Crop Protection Equipment Questions

1. Method of pest control not considered engineering control is:

a. chemical control b. biological control

c. mechanical control d. a and b
2. Sprayers are used primarily for the application of :

a. herbicides b. insecticides
c. fungicides d. pesticides
3. Which of the following is not a spray nozzle pattern?

a. hollow cone nozzle pattern b. solid cone

nozzle pattern
c. hollow fan nozzle pattern d fan nozzle pattern
4. Operation with the highest manual labor requirement for lowland
rice:

a. plowing with carabao b. hand transplanting

c. weeding with push-type weeder d. manual harvesting
5. Principle used in creating hydraulic energy in a lever-operated
knapsack sprayer is:

a. adding air to a container with fixed volume of liquid

b. adding liquid to a container with a fixed volume of air
c. adding liquid to a container with an existing volume of
liquid
d. adding air to a container with an existing volume of air
6. Which of the following is not a part of a typical lever-operated
knapsack sprayer?

a. tank b. pump
c. pressure gage d. nozzle
7. The application rate of a certain chemical is recommended at 4
kg/ha. The calibration test of a 16-liter knapsack sprayer is as
follows: Nozzle discharge = 1.2 liters/min, swath = 1.5 m and
walking speed = 20 m/min

Determine the number of sprayer loadings per hectare:

a. 15 b. 20
c. 25 d. 30
8. Soil working part utilized by push-type weeders for dryland
operation is:

a. blade type b. tine type

c. rotary type d. all of the above
9. Which of the following statements is incorrect: The higher the
pressure, … :

a. the larger the droplet size b. the higher flow rate

c. the wider the spray angle d. all of the above
10. The application rate of a certain chemical is recommended at 4
kg/ha. The calibration test of a 16-liter knapsack sprayer is as
follows: Nozzle discharge = 1.2 liters/min, swath = 1.5 m and
walking speed = 20 m/min

Determine the amount of chemical to mix with water per loading:

a. 102 gms/load b. 160 gms/load
c. 200 gms/load d. 240 gms/load
11. Type of soil working parts utilized by push-type weeders for
wetland operation:

a. blade type b. tine type

c. rotary type d. all of the above
12. Which of the following is not measured in calibrating a sprayer?

a. nozzle discharge b. effective working

width
c. walking speed c. application rate
13. The application rate of a certain chemical is recommended at 4
kg/ha. The calibration test of a 16-liter knapsack sprayer is as
follows: Nozzle discharge = 1.2 liters/min, swath = 1.5 m and
walking speed = 20 m/min

Determine the total volume of water applied per hectare:

a. 200 liters b. 300 liters
c. 400 liters d. 500 liters