Patience is a virtue few no-tillers can afford when the wind is calm and there are weeds or disease putting yields in jeopardy.

No-tillers seeking more precise chemical placement have new tools that not only makes application easier and more precise, they save money in the process.

To obtain a more even application rate when using a visual monitor, first increase your sprayer controller speed slightly rather than deciding to replace the nozzles, suggests Doug Summer.

With weed control becoming more critical with the growth of reduced tillage and expansion of continuous corn acres, more no-tillers are getting a quicker start with fall herbicide applications.

Greg Simpson has seen the big mistakes and speaks from experience when offering advice to no-tillers considering buying a sprayer. "The main thing is to ask yourself what your needs are. If you see a sprayer you like, ask yourself if the wheel spacings are right. Are the nozzle spacings right? Is the clearance what you need? Those are the kinds of things that should determine which sprayer you buy"; he says.

Given the high cost of applying pesticides in your fields today, replacement of worn nozzles is the best insurance against waste. The investment in a set of new spray nozzles is dwarfed by the cost of the chemicals being applied. But when should nozzles be replaced?