Research has shown that in some low pH (acidic) sprayer solutions, glyphosate and tribenuron containing sulfonylurea (SU) products can form a flocculent, resulting in a tank mix to fall out of solution.
Causes of Flocculation
- Not pre-dissolving the SU.
- Pre-dissolving the SU product too quickly with too little water (< 2 minutes).
- Using cold water temperatures during the agitation process.
- Inadequately performing agitation to create a see-through solution.
- NGP municipal waters that are balanced to 7.0 pH.
- Adding glyphosate to the spray tank before pre-dissolving SU.
- Topping up the spray tank with more products without properly diluting the solution with water first.
If Flocculation Occurs – 3 Steps To Properly Clean Out The Sprayer
Step #1: Immediately clean out flocculation by adding 7% ammonia into the tank at a starting rate of 1% v/v. The hour-long process will continue agitating as ammonia is added until the recirculating liquid becomes clear.
Step #2: To finish cleaning the sprayer, mix up a load of 50-100 gallons of clean water with ammonia at a starting rate of 1% v/v and circulate through the system.
Step #3: Let the system charge overnight, clean excess deposits and rinse clean in the morning.
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