The objective of this study was to evaluate the uniformity of spray distribution as well as the angle effect of hydraulic nozzles in a spray boom. Ten units of flat fan nozzle XR 11003 and hollow cone TXVK-4 (Spraying Systems Co) were tested in a patternator table built in accordance to the standard ISO 5682-1:1996. Each one of the units was tested separately, at the height of 0.30, 0.40 and 0.50 m, at 200 and 300 kPa and angles of 30º and 45º , clockwise and counterclockwise and in the vertical position. TXVK-4 nozzles were tested at same heights but at 300 and 400 kPa and only in the vertical position. The mean of the collected spray volume distribution of each nozzle type tip was entered in a computer program developed. This program simulated the distribution pattern of 24 nozzles boom at different overlapping and calculated the coefficient of variation corresponding to each configuration. The results pointed out to the necessity of the adaptation in nozzles spacing especially if any angle is in use and that the distribution uniformity is less vulnerable to boom height variation at reduced nozzle spacing.
nozzles; coefficient of variation; spray angle
