2,4-D

[RancherSam]

I just bought some 2,4-D to apply on broadleaf weeds. The label says it's 2,4-D Amine 4. I'd like to know what Amine 4 stands for, and whether this is the right 2,4-D to get to spray as a liquid herbicide for broadleaves. I'll be picking up my 60 gallon sprayer in a couple of days and hopefully I can spray soon after. The label indicates 2-4 pints / acre, but I have no idea how much that is in a 60 gallon sprayer. I guess I'll have to look at the gpm application rate (from what the pump is rated at), ground speed and figure out how much product I use per acre. But I have no idea when I've covered an acre so I'll have to calculate the area I'm covering with a 10ft swath, and when I cover 40000 sq ft I would've covered an acre blah blah blah, you know what I'm just going to guess and see what looks to be a reasonable applications. Any pointers? I'm covering about 30 acres, not all in one shot, probably 10 acres at a time with frequent refills.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Do a search for "Calibrate a sprayer", when you get your sprayer, calibrate it so you know how much product will be coming out over a set distance at a set speed. Then do the math.

With a 10' boom if you travel 5mph at around 30 psi you should be putting down around 20 gallons of water per acre so your tank will do 3 acres at a time. But calibrate it and follow the directions on your herbicide label and you should be ok. If you are worried about putting on too much then stay on the low side of the recommendations.

One other option for calibrating your sprayer (not a perfect calibration but one that is easy to do and fairly fast) is to mark out a 205x205' square and spray it with just water and keep track of your speed, psi and rpms. When you are done with the square, see how much water you applied and that is your rate per acre. If you put 15 gallons of water on that acre then your 60 gallon tank will do 4 acres, if you used 30 gallons of water then you will cover 2 acres.

 

[huskerfarmer]

Can you say AGENT ORANGE, REMEMBER VIETNAM

 

[johnk]

Very similar usage but 2,4d doeasn't have dioxins in it. Also it isn't in an orange 55 gallon drum...
Exceprt..

The herbicide 2,4-D does not contain dioxin, it remains one of the most-used herbicides in the world today.[citation needed]

The LD50, according to US EPA 2,4-D Reregistration Eligiblity Decision, 2006,is 639 mg/kg. Single oral doses of 5 and 30 mg/kg body weight did not cause any acute toxic effects in human volunteers.

The amine salt formulations can cause irreversible eye damage; ester formulations are considered non-irritating to the eyes.[citation needed]

On August 8, 2007, the United States Environmental Protection Agency issued a ruling which stated existing data do not support a conclusion that links human cancer to 2,4-D exposure.[citation needed]

 

[john_bud]

Yeah that is the stuff for dandy lions, clover and other weeds in the lawn.

Before you mix the 2,4 to the tank, run the tractor down the road with a GPS and spray the road with pure water. Get a feel for how well it covers, how much over spray you get and that stuff. The higher you lift the sprayer (3pt mounted) and the higher the pressure the greater the over spray and wind drift. While fairly benign, you should know that 2,4-d has the uncanny ability to seek out and kill your wife's flowers, no matter how careful you think you are being. Just watch out!

jb

 

[Retired Iron Peddler]

Can you say AGENT ORANGE, REMEMBER VIETNAM

That's 2,4,5-T... different stuff than 2,4-D.
I sprayed many gallons of 2,4,5-T mixed with diesel fuel to eliminate mesquite and prickly pear cactus from the pastures on a farm we purchased in the early 60s and I'm still here to talk about it!

Bill

 

[WarrenF]

RancherSam.....you are making it way too complicated. If you want a strong kill, i.e., you have a lot of broadleaf you are wanting to kill, then mix the 24-D about 2 ounces per gallon of water. If you have a 60 gallon sprayer then you would put about 120 ounces of 2-4-D in your spray rig and then fill it with water and perhaps some common dish soap which works as a sticker agent...cheaper than the stuff they sell just for that use.

Hook up and start spraying.....stop, get off the tractor and walk back to the area you just sprayed....is it fairly wet? does it look like you got good coverage? If so then jump back on the tractor and keep spraying. 2-4-D is cheap....now with some of the other stuff, I would say you might need to calibrate.

Another thing you might do is this.....Fill your tank with just water. Turn the spray rig on while sitting on an area that is plain dirt. That way you can see if your nozzles are at the proper height and are giving you a good overlapping cover. Then you can mix the spray and go to work. I have found that within two hours, if you spray on a good sunny day, you will see how good your kill rate has been. Most broadleaf plants will start showing signs of spray in that period of time. I like to say you can see their heads start hanging down and they look like their sick.

Have fun....nothing more satisfying, well next to plowing, than to spray a broadleaf infested area and see the plants getting sick.....makes you realize their is a God and a hoe is NOT an extension of your arm.

 

[lawn_king]

Amine formulations are safer to apply in the heat. You need to calibrate that sprayer with water before you mix the pesticide. You need to figure how many gallons per 1000 sq. ft. you are spraying. You will find a per 1000 rate on the product label.

 

[mjncad]

Some of these threads may be of help too, and I bought one of these FIMCO calibration bottles from Gemplers that makes life easier.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/customization/119396-small-sprayer-spray-rates.html

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/120569-custom-sprayer-2.html

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/build-yourself/119965-sprayer-question-2.html

Field Sprayer Calibrator, Crop, Turf & Nursery Production - GEMPLER'S

 

[charlz]

While fairly benign, you should know that 2,4-d has the uncanny ability to seek out and kill your wife's flowers, no matter how careful you think you are being. Just watch out!

My wife just noted that phenomena the other night

Kinda like the saying "What's the difference between plants and weeds? Weeds grow." I swear you can soak weeds all day with herbicide and they take forever to die... get one microscopic droplet on something you didn't mean to hit and it's dead in an hour.