ATV-RAATs: Control for Grasshoppers You Control By Scott Schell and Alex Latchininsky Extension Entomology Dept. of Renewable Resources - CES

Aerial-RAATs-50% Coverage Avg. daily grasshopper movement: approximately 10ft. 100 ft No Kill Zone Blanket Kill Zone RAAT-ioactive Zone

Perhaps the Perfect RAATs? “ Treat 1 inch, skip 9 inches, treat 1 inch, skip 9 inches…etc.”

ATV-RAATs-33% Coverage ( Spray Swaths from 13 ft to 21 ft depending on equipment ) Treated (33%) 13-21ft26-42ft Untreated (66%) RAAT-ioactive Zone

Can we approach perfection with an ATV? What did Bob Shoemaker (Platte Co. W&P) and Steve Brill (Goshen Co. W&P) think of our idea back in 2001?

As usual, they graciously agreed to let us use their ATV herbicide spray rigs that are equipped with boom-less nozzles.

Boom Buster nozzles

Boomless nozzle spray pattern

Application Specifications Goshen Co. W&P Spray Rig ATV speed = 15 mph on flat prairie One Model 140 nozzle = applies 4.8 gal. per acre at mph Effective Spray Swath (single nozzle) = 16 ft Tank volume = 24 gallons

Logistics Boom Buster Model mph x 16ft Swath = 0.48 acres/minute 5 acres treated per tank 4.8 gal./acre and a 24 gallon tank =10.41 min. of spraying per tank. Pretty different from ULV Aerial Application!

Practical? Could you protect 160 acres in one day? (It would take 32 tank loads to blanket treat 160 acres with a Model 140 nozzle)

Apply the Magic of RAATs

ATV-RAATs Coverage protect 80 to 240 acres Conservatively, if you only spray one to two tank loads per hour (treating only acres but protecting acres) over an 8 hr day you could protect 80 to 240 acres! Not the correct tool for a 10,000 acre block. However, the low application cost makes it attractive for treating smaller infestations.

What have we learned since 2001, from 62 small plots and one 400 acre full-scale test.

Working hypothesis: Percent coverage should equal grasshopper density # per square yard (50% coverage should work in even extreme infestations if applied early). Example: If you have 40 grasshoppers/sq yd you need 40% coverage. If your ATV sprays out a 15 ft. swath then divide 15ft by 0.4 which equals 37.5 ft. Then, for 40% coverage, spray a swath every 37.5 feet. Percent coverage recommendations to get satisfactory control with ATV- RAATs

Guidance For ATV Spraying GPS - speed and direction Compass – direction Speedometer – maintain spray volume Swath markers – orange flags on fence Mark tires and measure with the rotations Start parallel to a fence line and use previous track

Nozzles Half rate of “Boomless” 2 Qt/minHalf rate of “Boomless” 2 Qt/min Low cost and simplicityLow cost and simplicity ft swath17-21 ft swath In 2003 we field tested the S.S. Co. ¼-KLC- 5 Fieldjet nozzle

Chemicals & Rates Dimilin 33% coverage at 1 fluid oz rate (Label Maximum is 2oz) * Restricted Use 33% coverage at 16 fluid oz rate with oil (Sevin XLR Plus Label Maximum is 48oz) * Don’t leave it mixed with alkaline water. Malathion 57 EC - Still working on rate and coverage recommendation.

Total Volumes Small tanks – large acreages Vegetation – sparse or thick? Nozzle types – herbicide vs. insecticide Application speed – rough terrain vs. flat * Extra 200+ lbs of weight effects handling

Calibration - Step 1 1) Fill your system with the carrier fluid (no insecticide), and with ATV engine running and parked, turn on the spray and adjust the regulator to achieve the desired swath width (varies with nozzle type) and measure this width in feet (most easily done on concrete or bare ground). 17 ft

Calibration - Step 2 2) Refill the tank to a reference mark with carrier fluid and in the area you are going to treat, or area with similar terrain, drive the ATV to determine a safe speed (in mph) for application. 8 mph

Calibration - Step 3 3) Drive at the application speed and spray for exactly 1 minute then stop and carefully determine the amount of carrier fluid it takes to refill the tank back to the reference mark. Repeat this step two or three times to determine an average of the volume applied in 1 minute. The value will be your estimate of gallons/minute (GPM). 0.5 GPM avg.

Calibration- Step 4 4) Calculate how many acres you can spray in 1 minute by using the formula: [ Speed (in mph) x Swath width (in feet)] ÷ 495 (a constant) = # Acres Per Minute (APM) (8 mph x 17 ft)/495 = 0.27 acres per minute

Calibration - Step 5 5) Divide the GPM (determined in step 3) by the APM figure from step 4 to determine gallons/acre (GPA) that you will be applying. Example: 0.5 GPM/0.27APM = 1.85 GPA Approx. 13 acres per 24 gallon tank Would require 13 fluid oz of Dimilin 2L and 104 fluid oz of C.O.C. per tank with water for 24 gal. of spray.

Dimilin 2L® label Change To cover low volume Dimilin 2L RAATs ground applications. Registration Bulletin include with label in packet

Bran Application Carbaryl Bran Applicator Available from Peacock Industries

OK, What does it cost? Dimilin $210/Gal - 33% coverage at 1 oz rate $0.54 / acre protected. Use with oil adjuvant $30/Gal - 33% coverage at 16 oz rate $1.25 / acre protected. Use with oil adjuvant Minimum cost for chemicals at the minimum recommended coverage and rate. * Malathion 57 EC - no recommendation at this time

ATV – expensive, if you don’t have one already 25 gal tank and pump - at least $190 Two Boom Buster nozzles – at least $100 a piece (two are nice so you can spray with one with the wind on each pass). Lower cost alternative - One FieldJet ¼- KLC- 5 at $36 ATV - fuel and maintenance Operator - Can probably pay more than the University, say $8/hour. Cost Continued -

Spray Adjuvants You can increase control by at least 10% with the addition of at least 8 fluid ounces of oil adjuvant per acre treated. Crop Oil Concentrate or Crop Oil Concentrate-Vegetable Oil mix is much cheaper than additional coverage or insecticide. We haven’t tried all available spray adjuvants, i.e. Mo-bait

2004 ATV-RAAT Adjuvant Trial TreatmentPre. Density #/m² 21d Post Density #/m² Corrected Mortality % Dimilin w/ Only Water 39679% Dimilin w/ Mo-Bait 37486% Dimilin w/ C.O.C 33389% Dimilin w/ Canola oil 36293%

Canola oil and grasshoppers

Canola oil and emulsifier Oil and water don’t mix Use in ATV’s enough Crop Oil Concentrate to emulsify the canola and water ( at least 1 part Crop Oil to 3 parts Canola) Don’t use Tenkoz Compatibilty Agent (it interferes with attraction). We don’t know about other emulsifiers. Canola oil sources: Sam’s Club, restaurant supply company (use fry oil, not liquid shortening) 35 lb containers (4.6 gallon) the cheapest source we have found.

ATVs CAN BE HAZARDOUS TO OPERATE. Always wear recommended safety equipment. Take a training course on the safe operation of your ATV. Drive cautiously as the extra weight will affect handling & braking. Follow label directions of products.