Determination of accuracy level of agricultural spraying application in Sanliurfa/Turkey

When calibration, spraying height, applied pressure, volume rate, nozzle type and application time of equipment used in pesticide applications are incorrect, this causes the amount of agricultural pesticide applied per unit area to be more or less needed. A survey study was carried out on farmers in order to determine whether or not they adjust application pressure of pesticide equipment, nozzle type, volume rate, spraying height and calibration of spraying equipment needed for pesticide application to have values, and also whether or not they carry out agricultural pesticide application in accurate weather conditions such as wind speed, air temperature, relative humidity, temperature and application time. This research was conducted in 2008 by randomly determining 110 agricultural organizations located in villages in the center of Sanliurfa/Turkey and its districts. Survey study was carried out by taking data from pesticide applications processes made on products such as cotton, wheat, barley, lentils and corn which have been intensely produced in the region. It was determined that in general, farmers operated field sprayer at very high pressures in agricultural pesticide application and they did not adjust travel speed of boom sprayer based on the calibration of pesticide application equipment. Moreover, based on data obtained from survey studies, application operators and farmers did not know values of wind speed, temperature and relative humidity required for agricultural pesticide applications.