Missing part of your field during spraying allows weeds and pests to flourish, and overlapping increases your time, fuel, and chemical costs. Improving accuracy is the first step to a healthier crop and better crop management.

Most farmers believe that they do an accurate job, but research shows that experienced applicators, using paper or foam marking devices, still tend to overlap an average of 7%-10% of the sprayer boom length. On a 92 foot sprayer, that's approximately six feet, or four nozzle widths.

Overlapping six feet on a 1,000 acre field, at $7.50/acre in chemical costs, increases input costs by $750 on that field, not to mention the increased fuel costs and hours spent in the field.

More importantly, doubling the amount of chemical has an adverse effect on plant growth. Not only does it retard growth and leave your crops more susceptible to disease and infection, it also causes uneven ripening and lodging that affects harvesting performance.

With Tramlines, the negative effects of overlapping and skips are eliminated. Each pass is a precision application, matching sprayer boom tip to tip.

There are two very important reasons why Tramlines are so effective in the production of healthier crops:

• Conventional spraying encourages crop disease. Research in plant science shows that running spraying equipment through the field weakens a plant's immune system, making it susceptible to disease infection.
• Damaged plants mature later than the rest, which can lead to harvesting problems such as green kernels, plugging, and a poorer quality crop.

By using Tramlines, not only do you greatly reduce the number of downed plants, but your entire crop matures more evenly. Even late season applications can be performed without damage to standing crops. Your crops become stronger and healthier.

Nightfall produces optimum conditions for chemical application. Your crops' defenses are higher and chemical effectiveness is greater.

It is well documented that weeds sprayed between 9:00 AM and 7:00PM have a much greater chance of survival than weeds sprayed at night. In fact, studies show a 40% difference in survival rate between night and daytime herbicide applications. At night, wind is generally lower, humidity is higher, and air and soil temperature is lower. These climate conditions are more conducive to weed kill.

With conventional spraying techniques, using this application window is very difficult. Not only do you damage more crop by running your sprayer through the field, but accuracy is greatly reduced. At night, entire areas can be missed or doubled.

Tramlines allow you to take advantage of the night application window. By simply following the tracks, accuracy is maintained. And, because your timing is right, weed kill is more effective. With Tramlines, you'll find you can cut back on your chemical rates at night and still achieve better kill.

Figure 1. Weed survival rate studies on herbicide application in Ontario, Canada	Figure 2. Spraying conditions by the hour studies in Ontario, Canada.

Stricter EPA standards are demanding tighter controls on chemical and fertilizer use. Fields that have Tramlines result in a reduction of excess spraying. Tramlines provide the ability to make split applications, which facilitate better chemical absorption by the plants. Soil and surrounding water will be less likely to contain higher chemical levels.

Tramlines are a money-saving investment. Research has shown that even the most experienced chemical applicators, using paper or foam marking devices tend to overlap an average of 7-10% of the sprayer's boom length.

Tramlines provide many cost saving advantages:

• Time. By using tramlines, a tenth (or possibly more) of chemical application time can be spent doing other tasks.
• Fuel and Chemical Costs. At $7.50/acre in chemical costs, typical savings are $750 for every 1,000 acres of treated field.
• Environmental Costs. Overlapping means that soil receives excess chemical, potentially causing long-term problems. By using tramlines, these problems are avoided and soil is better conserved.
• Wear-and-Tear. The longer equipment is running in the field, the more wear it experiences. Tramlines help reduce this.
• Increased Yield. By reducing overlap, and allowing chemical application at strategic times, tramlines produce healthier crops.

Imagine reducing your time, fuel, and chemical costs by 7-10%, while preserving your soil and equipment. Tramlines make financial sense.