With the days fast-shortening, now is the time for tillage farmers to get on with the winter maintenance of sprayers.
This is an issue addressed in-depth by Teagasc machinery specialist, Dermot Forristal, in the current Tillage Edge podcast.
The reality is that heavy frost can cause significant damage to unprotected machinery.
According to Forristal: “We did have heavy frost in many parts of the country a week or so ago. So, once temperatures drop below freezing point, the potential for damage to be caused across machinery items does kick in.
“The issue centres on the rate of heat loss within a machine.
“However, in the case of a sprayer left outside with water in the booms and pump, two nights of temperatures getting down to the likes of -6°C will cause damage.”
The Teagasc representative said that ice in the control units of a sprayer, or the pump itself will cause a lot of damage.
Sprayers
Draining the water from the sprayer is one way around this problem. However, many modern sprayers have a very complicated specification, which makes the complete draining of the entire machine very difficult.
“As a result of this, most manufacturers recommend that an anti-freeze solution is put into a sprayer to provide frost protection during the winter period,” Forristal said.
Specifically, where sprayers are concerned, farmers can choose from all of the options available on the market at the present time.
“Obviously, farmers and contractors should consult their manufacturer’s own recommendations.
“However, the various additives that can be added to an anti-freeze specification focus, for the most part, on preventing the development of corrosion problems within car and tractor engines,” he continued.
“There are two main chemical agents within anti-freeze formulations. One is ethylene glycol, and the other is propylene glycol. The older option is ethylene glycol. Normally it is coloured blue or green.
“It is totally fine, where its use in sprayers is concerned. The main priority is to ensure that the anti-freeze agent will not damage seals.”
As a rule of thumb, mounted sprayers will require up to 25L of anti-freeze solution. Where larger, trailed sprayers are concerned, this figure increases to 40L of solution.
Anti-freeze should be bought as a concentrate, not as a ready-made coolant. The target is to achieve an end solution for sprayers containing approximately 30% of anti-freeze agent.