Eugene Kalafatis, aka “Diesel Dog” , descends past a line of timber into a sugarcane field applying ripener with a Robinson R22 using Micronair rotary atomizers. Photo by Shaun Carroll

Spraying in South Africa

by Eugene Kalafatis, aka “Diesel Dog”

Every August we have a huge farmers’ show with tractors, trucks, ploughs, etc., everything a farm could need. I attend with a lovely Bell Jet Ranger and offer flights at the three-day show. It is a nice change of pace from spraying to be able to talk to people and explain to young boys and girls (including adults) what you are doing during the engine start, the safety checks and general operations of the flight. By more people learning about aviation, who knows, maybe one of my passengers will be inspired to become involved in it.

While at the farm show, I also perform a crop spraying demonstration that explains to the crowd about crop spraying. I figure the more people who know me and what I do, the less chance of getting a nasty call from spraying early one morning near some one’s house.

This photo was taken in Dalton, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa. It is early morning. We are about to start spraying ripener on the sugar cane (crop in background), but the wind is already up and we are waiting to see what effect the sunrise will have on it. The wind normally subsides after the sun shows itself. But, this season has been a season to remember as we have been fighting mist, drizzle and wind since we started in January. The Robinson R22 is simply left parked with the farmer where we plan to start work the next day. The farmers enjoy having a helicopter parked on their front lawn. They are very accommodating in this regard. It saves us a stack of money, not having to hangar in one place.

In the adjacent photo, I am making a ULV application with the Robinson R22 spraying ripener on sugar cane in Dalton. The Micronairs have proven themselves in the ULV arena. We are spraying ripener at seven liters per hectare (.7 gal/acre) with the R22. This has been one of the best moves we have made recently. We were spraying 30 l/ha (3 gal/ac) with the Enstrom using hollow cone nozzles. After completing my second season with the Micronairs and ULV, the spray patterns have been excellent. The sugar cane has responded very well to the ULV applications.

With helicopters, you cannot afford to spray unnessary water, as this will eat into your pocketbook. I started investigating how well microlight aircraft were doing that have been spraying at five l/ha (.5 gal/ac) for years in Swaziland and South Africa using Micronairs. They were also having very good responses with this method of application for sugar cane ripening. So, we gave it a go and have never looked back. We fill up less, ferry less, can spray longer and have been able to lower the cost to the farmer as well. All this gives us a better profit margin than before. When needed, we can increase the rate to 30 l/ha, if the job or chemical requires it. With the Micronairs, we have the best of both worlds.

Although some fixed wing operators may differ, I believe one of the biggest advantages we have with the helicopter is its downwash component. This greatly assists forcing the ULV application into the crop canopy.

Most of the farms that we spray in the Natal midlands have both sugar cane and timber farms (wattle, pine and gum). This creates a challenge to spray, even for the helicopter, since the sugar cane is planted amongst the timber, or next to it.

Most of the fields were at one time in timber. This means there are a lot of young trees that have reseeded themselves and now are taller than the sugar cane. You also have to be aware of an alien weed known to us as “bugweed”. One moment you are fine. Then, there is a five-meter high sapling in your oncoming way, just the thing to break that “cheap” boom.

That is pretty much it for our spraying in South Africa with a Robinson R22 helicopter.