Sprayer MOT

[Bumble Bee]

I've actually just done something very similar to that with the frazier buggy i've borrowed to finish off after my sprayer fell to bits. Except i did a run up and down the field with a tractor first to measure an area using the acremeter.

It's not perfect but gets me finished then i can sort out a more permanent solution at my lesuire.

[emoji47] would you please go and stand outside facing the wall. [emoji1]

 

[neilo]

I'm surprised you can't recall it then. Perhaps re-read the first few pages of your PA1 course notes about current pesticide legislation, or read through the links I posted to if you want to read the detail.

I did my tickets in 1988. I suspect some insects will have eaten any courses notes I may of had by now.

 

[7610 super q]

I did my tickets in 1988. I suspect some insects will have eaten any courses notes I may of had by now.

Well get someone with PA1/ PA2 and PA6 (just to be sure) with a knapsack (tested) and wearing appropriate PP equipment to spray them...
And don't forget to write it up in the bookie wook afterwards....

 

[Red Fred]

I did my PA1 and 2 the other day and I was offered the chance to do the Grandfathers' test too, but I thought that having got the sprayer polished up, the notes read and the yard tidied up, it was better to do the proper job while the tester was here. Who knows when an off farm job might come up (in Mrs Fred's horse paddocks, for instance )and you can do it without looking over your shoulder to see if anyone is watching.

 

[Cowabunga]

I did my PA1 and 2 the other day and I was offered the chance to do the Grandfathers' test too, but I thought that having got the sprayer polished up, the notes read and the yard tidied up, it was better to do the proper job while the tester was here. Who knows when an off farm job might come up (in Mrs Fred's horse paddocks, for instance )and you can do it without looking over your shoulder to see if anyone is watching.

What the heck is the justification and point of doing a 'grandfather's test'? Surely if there is a testing and certification system at all, everyone should meet the same high standard and gain the same qualification and rights. Why would anyone even try for a grandfather's test, which is presumably a lesser level of competence, when the full blown qualification is fairly basic common sense and covers legal requirements on all aspects anyway. I cannot fathom the logic of it. If it is for the illiterate, how can they understand the label information and conform to legal requirements anyway. Better that they fail and let someone who can demonstrate competence to the proper standard do the job, be that a contractor or neighbour.

 

[Drillman]

[emoji47] would you please go and stand outside facing the wall. [emoji1]

Why does the wall have a list of good sub 10k self propelled sprayers on it

 

[Bumble Bee]

What the heck is the justification and point of doing a 'grandfather's test'? Surely if there is a testing and certification system at all, everyone should meet the same high standard and gain the same qualification and rights. Why would anyone even try for a grandfather's test, which is presumably a lesser level of competence, when the full blown qualification is fairly basic common sense and covers legal requirements on all aspects anyway. I cannot fathom the logic of it. If it is for the illiterate, how can they understand the label information and conform to legal requirements anyway. Better that they fail and let someone who can demonstrate competence to the proper standard do the job, be that a contractor or neighbour.

Because some of those operating under Grandfather Rights were up in arms saying that they had been operating sprayers correctly for years and how dare anybody tell them otherwise...you know the type...[emoji6]

They lobbied the NFU who lobbied government who got then watered down the proposal.

 

[Bumble Bee]

Why does the wall have a list of good sub 10k self propelled sprayers on it

If it does can i come and stand next to you?

 

[Lazy Sod]

I went over to using a contractor 10 years ago. Before that, the sprayer I had had a ground driven pump, which meant that, within reason the forward speed didn't matter, the application rate was self adjusting. I don't know how we could have done a nozzle test, with someone having to run behind with the jug.

 

[Selectamatic]

@Selectamatic , do you think your weeds will know if you have mot on your sprayer?

I hope the weeds don't have a union, Stingy Nettles United or something similar, that will complain and come out on strike as their basic rights to be sprayed with sprayer of the correct standard is ignored...?

 

[Cowabunga]

Because some of those operating under Grandfather Rights were up in arms saying that they had been operating sprayers correctly for years and how dare anybody tell them otherwise...you know the type...[emoji6]

They lobbied the NFU who lobbied government who got then watered down the proposal.

Well if the watered down proposals are sufficient, why inflict higher standards on others? Its all just a job creation scheme. That's all it is.

The instruction, rule making and inspection industry is now bigger than agriculture itself, it seems to me. Can any of that really be supported and justified when real farmers are told to become more efficient and to improve productivity, while all these people and agencies are living off primary producer's backs? I think not. It is dragging the whole of agriculture down and making it far less competitive, not more so.

 

[Drillman]

If it does can i come and stand next to you?

No problem as long as i get first dibs

 

[balerman]

Well if the watered down proposals are sufficient, why inflict higher standards on others? Its all just a job creation scheme. That's all it is.

The instruction, rule making and inspection industry is now bigger than agriculture itself, it seems to me. Can any of that really be supported and justified when real farmers are told to become more efficient and to improve productivity, while all these people and agencies are living off primary producer's backs? I think not. It is dragging the whole of agriculture down and making it far less competitive, not more so.

This is completely correct and is the reason there will be some sort of rural payment system after Brexit,the BPS costs more to administer than it dishes out to farmers,this sprayer testing scheme is just another example.

 

[Bumble Bee]

But if we loose more active ingredients due to the actions of a few who do not know any better as they have not received the appropriate training , what is that going to cost the industry. Probably a lot more than a couple of hundred pounds that you spend on sprayer testing.

I agree as far as crop assurance in general is concerned they are just getting out of hand with some of the daft rules that they dream up with no obvious benefit to the consumer or producer.

It would also be interesting to see just how well Crop Assurance companies are doing their job!
We had a sprayer testing customer who we had not seen for a few years who had just discreetly changed the date on the test sheet for a few years. Just proves to me that Crop Assurance are happy to take your money but not carry out their side of the bargin.
One rule for one.......

 

[bobk]

Well if the watered down proposals are sufficient, why inflict higher standards on others? Its all just a job creation scheme. That's all it is.

The instruction, rule making and inspection industry is now bigger than agriculture itself, it seems to me. Can any of that really be supported and justified when real farmers are told to become more efficient and to improve productivity, while all these people and agencies are living off primary producer's backs? I think not. It is dragging the whole of agriculture down and making it far less competitive, not more so.

T'isn't watered down , grandfather rights are the same as anyone elses just a test done on farm rather than spending 2 and a bit days at Harper .

 

[Old McDonald]

I bought a sprayer at a farm sale, talking 1980's before testing, bloody hell, it had a mixture of 100, 150 and 200 lt/ha (10, 15 and 20 gall/acre if you prefer) nozzles in it!. Also if using cheap and cheerful nozzles In a hard water area it is shocking just how fast the rate is all over the place.
As has been said, it's something you always "mean" to get around to but being forced to do it every year (for assurance) made sure of it. Actually the cheap nozzles and hard water didn't come close to lasting a year on several hundred acres of milling wheat - hard tips becoming a good investment, then just letting my tester do the jug test for me

I do not do the boom levelling test every time I fill up - not a lot of point since I am spraying land at different heights when on a flat surface - trees planted on narrow berms. I do like to keep all the filters clean though, and check them regularly, also fit new nozzles probably more frequently than needed. Last set fitted on 15th Nov. and a note in the diary. Having a small place split into different orchards means I know exactly how much it takes of each type of spray in which gear. Any deviation from that and I would do a serious inspection of everything. Wasted spray costs money.

 

[Old McDonald]

Why would anyone even try for a grandfather's test, which is presumably a lesser level of competence, when the full blown qualification is fairly basic common sense and covers legal requirements on all aspects anyway. I cannot fathom the logic of it. If it is for the illiterate, how can they understand the label information and conform to legal requirements anyway. Better that they fail and let someone who can demonstrate competence to the proper standard do the job, be that a contractor or neighbour.

I took my "Grandfather" test last year. It had to be done before 26th Nov 2015. The EU seems to like 26th Nov as a date relating to sprayers.

The reason I took it was because it was a half day course at the local ag college for a very small fee rather than a full week at a much higher fee. It actually was for the illiterate too. People were split into two groups - those who could read and those who could not. Those who could not were led through the written exam at the end by a small group of people who verbally asked the questions and helped with the marking down of the answers.

You must realise that there are huge numbers of EU ctizens who were never taught to read and write, but these people have farmed their few hundred square yards of land for maybe 70 years and some actually do spray herbicides, insecticides and fungicides through a knapsack sprayer. Without the Certificate they have been banned from buying these products since 26th Nov last year.

There are no contractors or neighbours with the relevant certificate permitting the spraying of someone else's land.

The UK is a group of foreign islands to the rest of the EU, and everything is very different. Only one of the many reasons I voted for Brexit.

 

[bobk]

I took my "Grandfather" test last year. It had to be done before 26th Nov 2015. The EU seems to like 26th Nov as a date relating to sprayers.

The reason I took it was because it was a half day course at the local ag college for a very small fee rather than a full week at a much higher fee. It actually was for the illiterate too. People were split into two groups - those who could read and those who could not. Those who could not were led through the written exam at the end by a small group of people who verbally asked the questions and helped with the marking down of the answers.

You must realise that there are huge numbers of EU ctizens who were never taught to read and write, but these people have farmed their few hundred square yards of land for maybe 70 years and some actually do spray herbicides, insecticides and fungicides through a knapsack sprayer. Without the Certificate they have been banned from buying these products since 26th Nov last year.

There are no contractors or neighbours with the relevant certificate permitting the spraying of someone else's land.

The UK is a group of foreign islands to the rest of the EU, and everything is very different. Only one of the many reasons I voted for Brexit.

How much was the test in Portugal ?

 

[DrWazzock]

Last spayed test we had, the testers gauge had bust so we relied on jug measurement. One of my boom valves was a bit sticky as well but I was working on it with some WD40. My boom had a small crack in it that needs watching.

Passed alright thanks to the tester being a reasonable bloke. Everybody knows it's a joke.

Nobody is going to use defective equipment as you'll either kill the crop or waste a lot of money or end up with an environmental pollution fine. It's daily ongoing job keeping your eye on a sprayer, not a once a year farce.

 

[Old McDonald]

How much was the test in Portugal ?

I cannot remember. Just a small amount because I do remember I paid the local ag dept in cash. The invoice was passed to my accountant together with all others for 2015 last January. It would a guess to say about €10. Given the number of people who attended that would well cover the costs of those who ran the course.

Bear in mind that those attending were very small scale people who cannot possibly make even the min wage (€505 a month) from their land so cannot afford big fees either. There were a lot of women on the course, and I suspect that was because they could read and their husbands cannot.