New Mexico Chile Task Force

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Pre-Plant Site Prep Maintenance and Calibration:

All precision and power equipment should be properly serviced and calibrated during the winter. Untimely delays caused by preventable repairs, coupled with unpredictable weather can be disastrous on stand establishment.

Most applicators recognize the importance of equipment calibration. However, re-calibration is often overlooked following any changes from the condition of the previous calibration. Equipment should be checked frequently. Manually calibrated machinery should ALWAYS be checked when one or a combination of the following elements changes: operating speed, spray pressure, nozzle tips size or number of nozzles being used. Electronically monitored sprayers automatically adjust the output rate based on operating conditions.

Machinery maintenance will help keep equipment well calibrated and operating efficiently. Frequent checks of hoses, clamps, fittings, pumps, etc. are necessary to detect leaks or other problems that need correcting. Schedule equipment maintenance according to the amount of use. Many small problems can go unnoticed if maintenance is limited to only once or twice a year. Properly fitted and maintained equipment will reduce repair cost as well as pesticide use.