Ted Klopp

Less Time Spraying, Improved Performance with On Target

Sonoma County wine grape grower Ted Klopp cut his spray time considerably in recent years without sacrificing mildew or botrytis control.

His secret didn’t involve changing fungicides or stretching intervals. He changed his sprayer.

After swapping out his air-blast sprayer for an electrostatic sprayer from On Target Spray Systems, Klopp went from applying upwards of 50 gallons of water per acre to 15 gallons.

“Now my fill-up time is minimal,” Klopp said. “I’m not eating up a lot of time running back and filling up the tank every few acres.”

Klopp talked about how the mist from an On Target spray can be seen hanging in the air for several minutes after it is applied.

“It just hangs there for a minute,” he said. “You can almost see it working its way into the vines.”

Conversely, he said: “With an air-blast, ten seconds after you pass it is on the ground or in the vine.”

Klopp decided to purchase an On Target sprayer in the interest of cutting down on the time it takes to treat a 25-acre block, essentially half of his ranch, for mildew and botrytis control.

“I was interested in being able to spray a larger part of the ranch in one shot, and using a lot less water,” he said. “And I was hoping for better efficiency on the use of chemicals.”

Today he believes he achieved both goals.

Klopp said that On Target Spray Systems require a little more maintenance than your typical air-blast sprayer.

“The air blast is pretty bloody simple,” he said. “You’ve got a pump and it blows the stuff out at a pressure that you developed, along with a whole bunch of air.

“With the electrostatic sprayer, you have the electronics, the nozzles, the valves that you have to take care of. It is a finer piece of equipment,” he said. “But it’s well worth it. The coverage is excellent, and I’ve cut down considerably on my spray time.”