2019 Citrus Technical Forum: Expert shows how to improve spray coverage with existing equipment

2019 Citrus Technical Forum: Expert shows how to improve spray coverage with existing  equipment

31 January 2019

Citrus growers don’t necessarily need new equipment to improve their spray coverage, according to US application expert Matt Strmiska, ADAPTIV.
The type of machine is irrelevant with a better understanding of correct technique, he said.
Matt will share advice on how to improve coverage at the 2019 Citrus Technical Forum and also provide a field demonstration at Costa Exchange’s Kangara farm as part of the pre-Forum tour.
He has been an independent consultant for nine years and is an advisor to different universities and the US Department of Agriculture, with whom his work has been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
“I have worked with a lot of growers and spray applications can be optimized on almost any machine, resulting in more precise application of product for significantly better yield,” he said.
Matt’s background is in manufacturing and fabrication. Ten years ago, his father, an agronomist, came to him with a query: When the only variant is the type of machine, how is it you can receive two completely different results?
“Essentially, I try to understand the physics of spraying, and have developed techniques to improve growers’ equipment and practices,” he said.
“I can bridge the gap between technical studies and what growers experience in the field.”
As a consultant, including regular visits to Australia, Matt not only shows growers and their employees how to improve spray coverage, but teaches the fundamentals so they can continue to improve.
Matt has conducted regular workshops for Nutrano.
“I’ve never seen anyone as good as Matt do this,” Nutrano’s Richard Byllaardt said.
“He has great knowledge and is very passionate about this. We always get at least 20-30% improvement after he has been.”
Matt will work with growers in the field, watching them spray before making changes to the machine and tweaking those changes throughout the day.
“Our drivers get a good education. They look at jet sizes, jet angles, coverage using wetting paper. We have blokes who have been doing it a long time and they pick up handy tips.”
At the Citrus Tech Forum, Matt will share simple techniques that growers may be overlooking. On the pre-Forum tour, he will demonstrate this in the orchard.
“It won’t matter what machine we use, as improved technique will enable us to get a better result.”

See the full pre-Tech Forum tour program here.

Register for the pre-Tech Forum tour and the Technical Forum here.