Best equipment for spraying 5 acres?

[Marigold4]

When spring comes, I'm planning to spray my field for buttercup and bindweed. I have 5 acres to do. Up to now I've managed to spot spray but the buttercup and bindweed has got beyond that now and I need to spray more extensively.

I have a small tractor with a tow bar and 3 point linkage. Any thoughts on what sort of equipment would do the job? I looked at a push along one on a trolley with a 60" boom but I don't think I'd be able to push the weight of water/weedkiller needed - some of the field is uphill.

All suggestions gratefully received! TIA.

 

[TheMule]

When spring comes, I'm planning to spray my field for buttercup and bindweed. I have 5 acres to do. Up to now I've managed to spot spray but the buttercup and bindweed has got beyond that now and I need to spray more extensively.

I have a small tractor with a tow bar and 3 point linkage. Any thoughts on what sort of equipment would do the job? I looked at a push along one on a trolley with a 60" boom but I don't think I'd be able to push the weight of water/weedkiller needed - some of the field is uphill.

All suggestions gratefully received! TIA.

A friendly farmer!
Lots of sprays for booms need a license. And 5 acres by backpack sprayer would be incredibly boring

 

[PeterNatt]

I get a contractor to come in and do it as the spraying equipment needs annual maintaining and calibration etc. and it is far more cost effective and I get a better results using a contractor.

 

[Marigold4]

Thanks for replying, The Mule and Peter Natt

Trouble is:

A) farmers too busy so won't come. I have tried 3 years running to find someone to spray but they say they will come then don't.

B) I want to spray one paddock at a time so I can leave ungrazed while still having somewhere to put the horses.

 

[Goldenstar]

I use a contractor if I want my whole field treated .

 

[kathantoinette]

If you Google ‘tractor mounted sprayers’ there are tons to choose from.

 

[Esmae]

There are plenty of sprayers to compact tractors, the main problem you will have is licenses for the appropriate spray. I looked into it and frankly it seemed never ending, so I declined it. I do a paddock at a time when necessary with a little sprayer on wheels that I pull along which is less trouble and less expensive.

 

[teapot]

Thanks for replying, The Mule and Peter Natt

Trouble is:

A) farmers too busy so won't come. I have tried 3 years running to find someone to spray but they say they will come then don't.

B) I want to spray one paddock at a time so I can leave ungrazed while still having somewhere to put the horses.

Try contacting your local agronomy firm - they will know someone who can do it

 

[millikins]

Are you on the FB page, "Land management for horses" with Dr Lisa Schofield? This situation was discussed recently and I believe you need a licence to spray with a tractor. Even a back pack sprayer is not actually legal for private use though you'd be unlucky to be reported for that.

 

[teapot]

Are you on the FB page, "Land management for horses" with Dr Lisa Schofield? This situation was discussed recently and I believe you need a licence to spray with a tractor. Even a back pack sprayer is not actually legal for private use though you'd be unlucky to be reported for that.

Correct on both counts

 

[Orangehorse]

Are there some specialist contractors? Paddock maintenance people.

You need a licence to buy agricultural sprays, plus I don't know what training you are supposed to have.

 

[SEL]

You can do a course for spraying I believe - was going to send OH on it.

 

[Marigold4]

I use a contractor if I want my whole field treated .

Trouble is, I only want to do one bit at a time so I can still have some grazing.

 

[Marigold4]

There are plenty of sprayers to compact tractors, the main problem you will have is licenses for the appropriate spray. I looked into it and frankly it seemed never ending, so I declined it. I do a paddock at a time when necessary with a little sprayer on wheels that I pull along which is less trouble and less expensive.

I think I will end having to do it this way!

 

[Marigold4]

Are you on the FB page, "Land management for horses" with Dr Lisa Schofield? This situation was discussed recently and I believe you need a licence to spray with a tractor. Even a back pack sprayer is not actually legal for private use though you'd be unlucky to be reported for that.

Thanks. I'll have a look at this. Rules seem very tight! Is it also illegal to spray weeds in your garden then??

 

[outinthefens88]

There are specialist paddock maintenance businesses that do the work that you are looking for, usually using either small self propelled sprayers or quad bike sprayers.

Getting a 'weather window' can be hard to organise as you never know when conditions will be right. Also depends how much you expect to pay as time, travel and chemical soon adds up - small acreages as you can imagine chew up more time travelling to, unloading, setting up etc than going to do say 50 acres. The contractor will want to have several in your area to do before he commits to coming else it just won't be worth their time and diesel.

Add into that that weeds need to be at a certain stage of growth for the chemical to be effective, ie ragwort needs to be in the small rosette stage not tall and flowering - different sprays target different weeds, its not a case of one size fits all - what is fantastic on nettles may be next to useless on clover for example.

Bindweed isn't easy to kill due to a very extensive root system either.

As a contractor that has worked in this market in the past, you want to be in, out done and gone, not waiting around for someone to turn up to unlock gates, move horses, open gates etc, etc - it can be unbelievably difficult to co ordinate some clients and some have VERY unrealistic expectations of how much they want to pay! Add into that the surprising amount of fields that don't have mains water or a supply that has ridiculous low pressure which takes forever to fill a sprayer tank, gate ways that are still boggy in springtime (optimum spraying time) and sink your sprayer to its axles, there's little wonder a good many contractors don't want small acreage work.

 

[Esmae]

Thanks. I'll have a look at this. Rules seem very tight! Is it also illegal to spray weeds in your garden then??

The weedkiller that you buy in garden centres is much less effective than farmers stuff and used in much smaller quantities. Hence there is less risk to user and watercourses etc. I haven't tried to buy herbicide since pre pandemic so rules may have changed/tightened again. It may be that your friendly farmer can sell you some of the stronger stuff if you have trouble purchasing yourself, although he is also restricted by what he can buy/spread etc and has to keep records to show usage etc. When I do my land I do a paddock at a time and subdivide it if necessary so that I can do reasonable areas without slaughtering myself. Tell yourself "I don't have to do all of it all at once!" is helpful when you are faced with a lot to do. All these rules are all very fine but little thought seems to be given to the small landowner for all sorts of things from spray to ratbait these days. Stuff still has to be done and making it all more difficult seems daft to me.

 

[Burnttoast]

Thanks. I'll have a look at this. Rules seem very tight! Is it also illegal to spray weeds in your garden then??

They are tight quite rightly and I'll be pleased when they are tighter. Herbicides are one reason why this country is severely nature-depleted.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

My sister went to Moreton Morrel college and did a spraying course so that she could spray our fields with Grazon using a backpack sprayer.

 

[rabatsa]

Marigold find your nearest LANTRA training place and book a couple of courses. One is for using sprays and the other for using the equipment that you choose. This way you will know what you are doing and that you are legal.

 

[Marigold4]

There are specialist paddock maintenance businesses that do the work that you are looking for, usually using either small self propelled sprayers or quad bike sprayers.

Getting a 'weather window' can be hard to organise as you never know when conditions will be right. Also depends how much you expect to pay as time, travel and chemical soon adds up - small acreages as you can imagine chew up more time travelling to, unloading, setting up etc than going to do say 50 acres. The contractor will want to have several in your area to do before he commits to coming else it just won't be worth their time and diesel.

Add into that that weeds need to be at a certain stage of growth for the chemical to be effective, ie ragwort needs to be in the small rosette stage not tall and flowering - different sprays target different weeds, its not a case of one size fits all - what is fantastic on nettles may be next to useless on clover for example.

Bindweed isn't easy to kill due to a very extensive root system either.

As a contractor that has worked in this market in the past, you want to be in, out done and gone, not waiting around for someone to turn up to unlock gates, move horses, open gates etc, etc - it can be unbelievably difficult to co ordinate some clients and some have VERY unrealistic expectations of how much they want to pay! Add into that the surprising amount of fields that don't have mains water or a supply that has ridiculous low pressure which takes forever to fill a sprayer tank, gate ways that are still boggy in springtime (optimum spraying time) and sink your sprayer to its axles, there's little wonder a good many contractors don't want small acreage work.

That is exactly what I have found. Small contractors are not interested in this work. Yet I can't do it myself as I don't have a licence. I bulk bought Thrust before the regs changed, so have enough to spray for myself this year, but this would be illegal. Hmmmm.

 

[Marigold4]

Marigold find your nearest LANTRA training place and book a couple of courses. One is for using sprays and the other for using the equipment that you choose. This way you will know what you are doing and that you are legal.

I will look into this. Thank you. Think this will be the way forward.

 

[outinthefens88]

That is exactly what I have found. Small contractors are not interested in this work. Yet I can't do it myself as I don't have a licence. I bulk bought Thrust before the regs changed, so have enough to spray for myself this year, but this would be illegal. Hmmmm.

Things is this - speaking as a small contractor - its not that contractors aren't interested its merely that jobs have to be priced a rate that makes them viable - which seems to put a lot of people off (not saying that is the case here but it often seems to be).

For example - travel 25 miles each way to a site in pick up truck dragging trailer/tractor/sprayer - £30 in diesel and an hour each way (travel HAS to be chargeable as its time you could be earning elsewhere) - three acres say two hours on site at £35 p/h, cost of chemical used (some have doubled or tripled in the last three years) say £50, protective clothing cost (this has SKYROCKETED since covid with at one point single use chemical masks being £8 EACH and single use coveralls £10, cost of diesel in tractor £10 , cost of water if having to bring to site - profit margin, a bit for the tax man - its very soon the job is up to £200 - £300 in cost which people just don't want to pay - or agree to then are ridiculously slow paying.....

Other thing is that a lot of people leave the weeds to get too big or expect a field neglected for generations to be cleared up in one application - some fields take two or three applications over several years to become acceptable.

The courses cost circa £250 each, with refreshers every few years and the insurance cost is jumping by 10-15 per cent yearly.

Just a few of the reasons why a lot of contractors aren't interested in small acreages!

 

[Goldenstar]

Trouble is, I only want to do one bit at a time so I can still have some grazing.

If you can be flexible about when it’s done someone may do it when it fits in with being somewhere else .
Thats how mine stuff gets done .
Otherwise it’s manpower and the sprayer .

 

[madabouthehorse]

A small tractor mounted sprayer like an old Hardi one would suit. Legally you will need to complete PA1 & PA2 certification to buy and apply the sprays tractor mounted (PA6 for handheld e.g. knapsack sprayer), in addition to having all the relevant spray records. No need to have NSTS tests etc if you are not farm assured.

 

[lamlyn2012]

You can do a course for spraying I believe - was going to send OH on it.

Yes you can. OH did it. Well worth doing.

 

[Marigold4]

Looked into doing the course. 4 days and £500. Think it 's going to be me and my backpack!

 

[Marigold4]

If you can be flexible about when it’s done someone may do it when it fits in with being somewhere else .
Thats how mine stuff gets done .
Otherwise it’s manpower and the sprayer .

Trouble is they're never free to come at the right time. I expect I could get someone to come now but it wouldn't be very effective!

 

[YourValentine]

Spraying off the buttercups and bindweed is treating the symptoms rather than the cause. They will just come back.

If you own/have management of the land, a long term solution that doesn't require the repeated use of environmentally damaging chemicals, is to change management so that you don't favour the growth of buttercups & bindweed.

 

[YourValentine]

Spraying off the buttercups and bindweed is treating the symptoms rather than the cause. They will just come back.

If you own/have management of the land, a long term solution that doesn't require the repeated use of environmentally damaging chemicals, is to change management so that you don't favour the growth of buttercups & bindweed.

The rest of my reply which went AWOL was:

If you want to see if you have a compaction issue (common in horse fields) look up "Visual Evaluation of Soil Structure" (VESS). Simple how to guide with photos and YouTube tutorials.

There is loads of grazing management advice out there aimed at sheep & cattle farmers but perfectly relevant to managing horse grazing. And consultants who could come out and advise.

Long term, it will be far cheaper and better for the environment, to improve your grazing management than keep spraying annually.

If you do end up spraying please think about proximity to water courses and ditches, when it's next forecast to rain, and be as targeted as you can to minimise the unintended environmental impact.