They continue throughout the provincial territory periodic calibrations of spraying machines, 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 homefor the correct adjustment of spraying machines.
“Every three years, or every two years in the case of machines owned by subcontractors, companies are required to undergo calibration checksto ensure that their sprayers of plant protection products fall within the optimal standards, both in terms of quantity and diffusion of the product delivered, paying attention to drift, i.e. not to reach crops outside the target, or to avoid loss of product on the ground” explains the technical manager Coldiretti Asti Anthony Bagnulo. “This is an activity that receives increasing attention at all levels, regardless of who benefits from public contributions. The national action plan, in fact, focuses precisely on the sustainable use of pesticidesstarting from the correct calibration and maintenance of the spraying machines”.
“Calibration is divided into two steps”, continues the Coldiretti technician Davide Frandino: “functional control, with the collection of technical data of 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: the replacement of the pressure gauges, the cleaning of the reading scale of the tanks and the verification 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”he concludes Christian TrincheroColdiretti technician in the San Damiano area. “Optimizing spraying helps streamline treatment and to 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.”
