23. Valmar Calibration - Syndicat des producteurs de bleuets du

23. Valmar Calibration - Syndicat des producteurs de bleuets du

Wild Blueberry
Production Guide...
in a Context of
Sustainable Development
23. Valmar Calibration
INTRODUCTION
The Valmar is a pneumatic granular spreader. Using air boom technology to distribute granular product with great
uniformity, it is highly efficient for both pesticides and fertilizer. Its advantages include little or no pesticide drift, far more
uniform application than other granular spreaders, great reliability, and a rate of flow that is independent of speed of travel.
PARTS OF THE MACHINE
1. Application dosage is varied using the gearbox (Figures 1a and 1b). Choose the appropriate setting as indicated on the
chart provided with the machine (see the operator’s manual).
2. Make sure the gear wheels are properly installed before performing calibration (Figure 2):
• when calibrating for fertilizer application, place the smaller of the two gears toward the front of the Valmar;
• when calibrating for pesticide application, place the larger of the two gears toward the front.
3. Use the stainless steel roller for calibrating and applying fertilizer, and the plastic roller for calibrating and applying
pesticides. Both rollers are provided with the machine (Figures 3a and 3b).
4. Use the air restrictor (Figure 4) when the plastic roller is installed.
Figure 1a. Gearbox
Source: Club Conseil Bleuet
Figure 3a. Stainless steel roller
Source: Club Conseil Bleuet
Figure 1b. Setting the gearbox
Figure 2. Gear wheel
Source: Club Conseil Bleuet
Source: Club Conseil Bleuet
Figure 3b. Plastic roller
Figure 4. Air restrictor
Source: Club Conseil Bleuet
Source: Club Conseil Bleuet
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23. Valmar Calibration
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
The following equipment is needed for calibration:
• two flags or stakes;
• a measuring tape;
• a calculator;
• a scale;
• large container (a bag or box);
• the operator’s manual.
CALIBRATION METHOD
When calibrating for the application of pesticides, one should only use
granules that contain no herbicide (i.e. blanks). Blanks for PRONONE® can
be obtained from your herbicide supplier. To calibrate for the application of
fertilizers, the producer must have on hand all of the formulations that will
be spread in the field. This is because different fertilizers can have different
densities, requiring slightly different settings when calibrating.
1. Measure off 104 m between two flags, and advance the Valmar while
counting the number of turns made by the calibration crank (Figure 5). The
speed of travel doesn’t matter, since the application dosage is not correlated
to speed.
2. Stop the tractor and use a container to collect product (or herbicide blanks)
that normally would be propelled into one of the booms. Instead of
collecting it from the boom, remove the metal plate under the rollers and
collect from there.
Figure 5. Calibration crank
Source: Club Conseil Bleuet
3. Manually, turn the crank the same number of turns as were counted in step 1.
4. After first zeroing the scale, weigh the product collected. The weight obtained represents half what is needed for full
spreading width, since the Valmar is equipped with two booms.
5. Observe the uniformity of the application pattern.
CALCULATING APPLICATION DOSAGE
6 m (width of one boom) x 104 m distance = 624 m2
Weight in kg x 10 000 m2 (one hectare) = application dosage in kg/ha
624 m2
Wild Blueberry Production Guide
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23. Valmar Calibration
COMPLEMENTARY LEAFLET
57. Accident Prevention Plan
REFERENCE
Valmar 500PT Pneumatic Granular Applicator - Operator’s Manual.
PROJECT COORDINATION
PUBLISHING
Sophie Gagnon, Agronomist,
Coordinator, Agrinova, Alma
Project
Management
Chantale Ferland, M.Sc., Publishing Project Officer, CRAAQ,
Québec
Lyne Lauzon, Publications Coordinator, CRAAQ, Québec
WRITING
TRANSLATION
Marie-Eve Moreau, Agronomist, Consultant, Club Conseil
Bleuet, Dolbeau-Mistassini
Rod Willmot, M.A.
COLLABORATION
LAYOUT AND GRAPHIC DESIGN
Jean-Marc Bernard, Operator, Bleuetière coopérative de
Normandin
Sylvie Robitaille, Computer Graphics Technician, CRAAQ,
Québec
Véronique Moreau, Agronomist, Coordinator, Club Conseil
Bleuet, Dolbeau-Mistassini
REVISION
Jean Lafond, M.Sc., Researcher in Soil Fertility, Agriculture
and Agri-Food Canada, Normandin
Laurier Tremblay, Agronomist, Ministère de l’Agriculture,
des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation du Québec, Bergeronnes
PRODUCED BY
FUNDED BY
Association
des producteurs
de bleuets de
la Côte-Nord
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Wild Blueberry Production Guide