Ensure your equipment is cleaned out properly to minimize the risk of field contamination.
Thorough tank cleanout is necessary to avoid crop injuries and maximize yields. As an applicator, you want to eliminate contaminants in your spray equipment both before and after spraying Enlist(R) herbicides.
Here’s an equipment checklist to help you avoid contaminating the next field:
Start with a clean tank.
Clean your sprayer before using Enlist(R) herbicides to avoid contamination from a prior application. Residual corn herbicides or dicamba left in the sprayer can easily damage Enlist crops. A tank contamination trial shows the middle rows of soybeans weeks after being sprayed with a 5% dilution of a dicamba solution.
Watch the full video on tank contamination and symptomology identification here.
Clean out the sprayer ASAP after application.
Avoid letting the solution sit overnight if possible. If you cannot clean the sprayer immediately, do a freshwater rinse and then use the following procedures as soon as you are able. Do not let herbicide solutions dry onto tank walls or inside plumbing.
Triple-rinse your sprayer.
Triple-rinsing the sprayer and its components is a must after applying Enlist Duo(R) or Enlist One(R) herbicide to any crop other than glyphosate-tolerant corn. This helps ensure any remaining Enlist herbicides are removed from the system.
If you’re tank-mixing, follow the most stringent cleanout recommendation of any tank-mix partners included in the tank with an Enlist herbicide.
Use a defoamer when tank-mixing.
The addition of an anti-foaming agent is highly encouraged for ease of mixing and sprayer cleanout. The most current list of qualified anti-foam/defoamers is available at EnlistTankMix.com.
Ensure the entire system, including other equipment, is cleaned out.
Often smaller harder-to-see sprayer parts come in contact with herbicides. Check hoses, screens, filters, pumps and dead ends on the boom. Clean these parts, as well as the sprayer tank, thoroughly. Clean transfer equipment and pumps before switching to the next product.
You can view and download the full Enlist sprayer cleanout guide here. And, if you’re looking for more expert advice on applications of Enlist herbicides, watch the Enlist weed control system virtual tech center tour or visit Enlist.com.
