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Uses of the sprayer in agriculture are so many compared to other tools. There are about five types of them and they include; low pressure, hand-operated, air carrier, fogger, and high-pressure sprayers. However, only three of these machine operated sprayers are common. The most popular uses of the sprayer in agriculture are to spray fungicides pesticides and defoliants.

With the recent development of technology in the agricultural sector more advanced sprayers have been made. For example, drone sprayers that contain sensors, GPS and built-in cameras for taking pictures. In the future, we might see more advanced and automated sprayers fitted with artificial intelligence for maximizing crop quality and yields. Sprayers are used on the livestock to boost their health by keeping clean.

Sprayers are used for liquid fertilizer applications reducing hard labor. Manual fertilizer applications can be very tiresome. However, using sprayers makes the work very easy as the system can be automated and the job completed within a short period. They can cover a lot of distance that farmers can. A farm cannot be complete without a sprayer. It has a lot of uses in the agricultural background. Let us see some of its common uses.

Common uses of the sprayer in agriculture

1. Liquid fertilizer application

Liquid fertilizer application is the most suitable method used in dryland and areas prone to soil erosion. A sprayer is parked with liquid fertilizer to make this method efficient. It is the perfect choice because of its ability to target a specific crop without losing a lot of liquid to the winds or evaporation. Additionally, this type of spraying is very beneficial for crop establishment and encouraging early rooting. Although the main purpose is to supply crops with nutrients, it also proves them with water

2. Spraying fungicides

Fungi, blight, rusts and mildews are controlled by the use of a hand sprayer. They are the plant’s worst enemy because they lower crop production. Parasitic fungi affect the animals as well. But with the help of a hand sprayer, a farmer is able to control them. Most fungicides are sold in liquid form and contain 90% Sulphur. Sprayers are very effective when it comes to controlling the fungi since most of them affect the leaves.

3. Pest control

A sprayer is one of the most efficient tools that is used for controlling pests. Pesticides are mixed with water and then sprayed to areas infested. In areas that highly infested, spraying is done every two weeks. It is also sprayed on the livestock to kill ticks and other dangerous pests that lower production. Houses are sprayed to get rid of cockroaches, bedbugs, and mosquito among many others.

4. Spraying water

Apart from spraying pesticides and fungicides, sprayers can be used to hydrate plants and animals. There are high-pressure sprayers that are used over small areas for irrigation. Additionally, before crops are harvested they are sprayed with fresh water to clean any chemical deposits that could have been left behind. During hot weather, sprayers are used to cool livestock and insects that are kept for agricultural purposes such as butterflies and the ladybird.

5. Boosts flowering production

Sprayers are the most preferred tools by farmers to boost flowering production. A flower is a very crucial part of crops especially whose economic sense relies on fruits or seeds. Sprayers are used to spray flowers so that yields can increase. Flowers are very delicate hence watering them is done by low-pressure sprayers. This helps to prevent them from cutting off. Some flowers are very small and only the sprayers can be able to target them without wasting the chemical that is being administered.

6. Spraying herbicides

Unwanted vegetation is controlled by the help of sprayers. To achieve this, the herbicide is mixed with water inside a sprayer. The farmer then sprays over the unwanted vegetation which dries up after a few days. In the past farmers were able to spray in a piece of land with unwanted vegetation only. However, scientists introduced new chemicals that can select and eliminate unwanted crops in the same land. The selective herbicides are administered using a sprayer too.

7. Spraying stickers

In the rainy seasons, chemicals are mixed with stickers to prevent them from being washed away by water. Since stickers are efficient when applied to the leaves, only sprayers are suitable to carry out the job. Stickers are mixed with chemicals to stick on the crops and withstand winds and rain. If you apply chemicals without stickers on a rainy season they will be washed away. Stickers are very important because they make herbicides and other chemicals efficient during the rainy season.

8. Livestock spraying

Animals are sprayed using hand-held sprayers which reach every part of the body easily. In a large scale farm where many animals need to be sprayed then bigger and automated sprayers are used to do the job. Pets are sprayed using a small handheld spray.

9. Mapping

The new drone sprayers are equipped with software that follows a specific path for mapping. They are equipped with cameras and sensors onboard that take pictures automatically. Other drones are equipped with GPS to measure farm sizes and to monitor areas that need spraying attention. In addition, they are capable of carrying more pesticides and fertilizers without tampering with crops as compared to tractors. It also helps in reducing pesticide exposure to humans that would have sprayed manually.

10. Fire response/ controlled burning

Sprayers are used to put the fire off on the farm. A drone equipped with sprayers is useful in case fire is supposed to be controlled from the sky. Farmers burn some parts of their land to get rid of weed without using herbicides. To prevent the fire from spreading to their houses they use sprayers to control it.

11. Infestation response control

Infestations are easily controlled by the use of sprayers. For example, a farm infested by whiteflies or stalk borers is treated using sprayers. Further, farmers use it to control infestation to livestock and pets. It is also used to control infestation for people in areas such as sofas, carpets, and beds.