Evaluation of Three Sprayers for Control of Cabbage Loopers on Cabbage, 1980

Three sprayers, commonly used by commercial growers in upstate NY, were compared in a mature, commercial field heavily infested with cabbage loopers. A section of the field was set up as a RCB design with 6 replications. Plots consisted of six 50-ft rows bordered by 12 rows between treatments and 50 ft between replications. Each sprayer used Pydrin at 0.1 lb ai/acre with one-half tablespoon of spreader/gal. The three sprayers were used as growers normally employed them and were: (1) a 12 row brush boom sprayer with 21 fan nozzles directed over the cabbage and delivering 16 gal/acre (70 psi) at 5.7 mph; (2) a 2-row boom sprayer with 3 fan nozzles/row (1 directed over the cabbage and 2 drop nozzles directed into the plants) and delivering 32 gal/acre (60 psi) at 3.0 mph; and, (3) a 10-row John Bean Airblast Sprayer delivering 32 gal/acre at a speed of 5.2 mph. An untreated control was also included. Treatments were applied Oct 3 and evaluation consisted of careful examination of 8 plants/plot on Oct. 6.