As we move into the post-harvest period for many crops, taking care of orchard and vineyard hygiene makes good operational sense to save time and money down the track. It sets up your operation for any other winter clean-up jobs as well before next season.

David Lingan, UPL NZ Ltd’s Adjuvant Product Manager, recommends you do everyone a favour (including yourself) with a thorough post-harvest clean-up of spray equipment.

“No-one likes working with dirty, sticky spray equipment, so giving your sprayers a thorough clean after harvest and prior to servicing or storage makes sense during this comparatively less busy part of the year. Who doesn’t want to maintain the value and performance of their equipment for longer?”

David likens cleaning spray gear to the discipline of triple rinsing containers. 

“It’s about being professional, getting the best out of machinery, and protecting yourself and everyone you work with.”

He recommends using All Clear® 2X tank cleaner and decontaminant at the end of every spray season, and between product application during the season. 

All Clear 2X includes a unique combination of surfactants, sequestrants and detergents to remove residues, lock-up molecules for improved rinse-out, solubilise and break-down residues. It thoroughly cleans spray tanks, spray lines, booms and nozzles, and helps to protect equipment against corrosion. 

“It’ll remove even notoriously sticky products and helps minimise spray residues in tanks and blocked nozzles. Your service technician will appreciate it, and best of all, it’s effective and affordable.”

David describes All Clear 2X as invaluable for high-value helicopter spray set-ups. “For viticulturists where frequent spraying is common, using a product like All Clear 2X between products is best practice for crop hygiene and safety.”

Other benefits of All Clear 2X are its long shelf-life and absence of chlorine or ammonia in its formulation to improve operator safety and make the product more pleasant to work with. David says while growers are focussing on their post-season tidy-up, they can utilise the fast, effective, broad-spectrum herbicide, Bammer, as part of their orchard and vineyard weed control programme.

“Bammer combines glufosinate ammonium with carfentrazone-ethyl for outstanding post-emergent weed control of broadleaf weeds and grasses. It acts quickly to get your orchard and vineyard looking tidy for next season. It is also suited for waste areas, and for seedbed preparation before new crops are sown.”

Bammer’s two active ingredients work in different ways to knockdown weeds quickly. Glufosinate ammonium is taken into plants through foliage and green stems and prevents plants from metabolising ammonia that is a by-product of photosynthesis. Ammonia accumulates in the plant and eventually causes death. Plants are more susceptible when growing actively. Carfentrazone-ethyl is a fast acting contact herbicide that desiccates and controls weeds through a process of membrane disruption. It is rapidly absorbed through the foliage and green stems of plants.

For more advice on All Clear 2X and Bammer for your post-harvest clean-up, talk to your Fruitfed Supplies Technical Horticultural Representative.