The periodic calibrations of the spraying machines in the Asti area continue, thanks to the commitment of Coldiretti Asti, recognized as an “Authorized Functional Verification Center” since 2001.
During the entire year, in an itinerant form, Coldiretti technicians provide the service by organizing, in rotation throughout the territory, collective centers such as, among the latest, the one at the CAP Nord-Ovest Agency in Villafranca d’Asti.
Equipped with a mobile calibration bench, Coldiretti technicians provide a fundamental service, sometimes even at home, for the correct adjustment of spraying machines.
“Every three years, or every two years in the case of machines used by third parties, companies are required to undergo calibration checks to ensure that their plant protection product sprayers meet optimal standards, both in terms of quantity and diffusion of the product dispensed, paying attention to drift, that is, not to reach crops outside the target range, or to avoid loss of product on the ground,” explains Coldiretti Asti Technical Manager Antonio Bagnulo. “This is an activity that is increasingly being monitored at all levels, regardless of who benefits from public funding. The national action plan, in fact, focuses precisely on the sustainable use of plant protection products, starting with the correct calibration and maintenance of spraying machines.”
“Calibration is divided into two steps” continues Coldiretti technician Davide Frandino: “functional control, with the collection of technical data from the machines used, and practical simulation. In particular, the bar and/or the atomizer are first checked for the power of the individual diffusers/nozzles, then, through simulation based on water alone, the regulation is checked by collecting the liquid on the plates arranged on a mobile shaft. A diagram is thus defined which must be as compatible as possible with the vegetation to be treated. If necessary, the necessary corrections are made, such as, among others: replacing the pressure gauges, cleaning the reading scale of the tanks and checking that the suction filter can be cleaned even with a full tank”.
At the end, the reports will flow into a specific “barre” application which, in turn, will transfer the data to the company file of the Regional Agricultural Registry.
“Behind all this there is a great deal of organizational preparation work” concludes Christian Trinchero, Coldiretti technician for the San Damiano area. “The optimization of spraying helps to rationalize the treatment and improve the effectiveness of the active ingredients. In short, the product must be used to its best advantage and only when it cannot be done without it.”
