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101
73o
August 1986
Disk(s) under separate cover
Circular 730
CITMIX:
A Microcomputer Program
That Calculates Citrus Spray Mixtures
Central Science
Librarye COMPUTER SERIES
JAN 30 i990
University o j 10fr da Thomas R. Fasulo
SUniversity 01 or~da
101
F6 36c 3 -v Extniwon Swvio / InsMtitute of Food d AgriulturalM Soleno / Univrsity of Florid. / John T. Woes., Dean
730
guide
ABSTRACT
CITMIX is a microcomputer program that calculates the amount
of pesticide and spray oil to be applied to citrus groves in
Florida. The program asks you to input a maximum of six
variables: tree height, amount of water, pesticide measure,
pesticide rate, spray concentration, and whether or not spray oil
is to be used. You can change any of these variables before the
program performs the final calculations. The program determines
the amount of pesticide and spray oil to be added to the tank
mixture; the amount of pesticide, spray oil, and water applied
per acre; and the number of acres that can be sprayed with one
tank.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Sincere appreciation is extended to Dr. Robert F. Brooks, of
the Citrus Research and Education Center, Lake Alfred, Florida,
for his assistance in testing this program and his
recommendations for improving the program content. Appreciation
is also extended to Teresa A. Raup for her assistance in
preparing this manual.
Copyright, 1986
University of Florida
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
AUTHOR
Thomas R. Fasulo is an Associate in Entomology and Data Base
Coordinator for the Florida Agricultural Information Retrieval
System (FAIRS).
UNIVERSITY OF FLO.G"IDA UM IES
CITMIX
A Microcomputer Program That Calculates Citrus Spray Mixtures.
by
Thomas R. Fasulo
Department of Entomology and Nematology
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida 32611
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
List of Figures .......
Introduction ..........
Program Description ...
Program Specifications
Program Operation .....
General Instructions ..
Sample Run ............
Ordering Information ..
References ............
. . . . . . . . . ....... ii
......................... 1
. . .................. ..... 2
......................... 3
.... ................. 4
...o....... o. ...... ..... 5
............. . . . 6
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
VII.
VIII.
LIST OF FIGURES
Page
Figure 1. Screen 1 CITMIX Title Page ................... 6
Figure 2. Screen 2 Select Tree Height .................. 7
Figure 3. Screen 3 Input Water Capacity ................ 8
Figure 4. Screen 4 Select Unit of Measure .............. 9
Figure 5. Screen 5 Input Pesticide Rate ................ 10
Figure 6. Screen 6 Input Spray Concentration ........... 1
Figure 7. Screen 7 Select Spray Oil Option ............. 11
Figure 8. Screen 8 Select Spray Oil Rate ............... 12
Figure 9. Screen 9 Review Variables .................... 13
Figure 10. Screen 10 Spray Mixture With Spray Oil ....... 14
Figure 11. Screen 10 Spray Mixture Without Spray Oil ....15
CITMIX
I. INTRODUCTION
Pesticide application is an important and expensive part of
the citrus grower's crop management program. Great care is taken
in selecting the specific pesticide to apply. However, the
actual mixing of the pesticide spray itself is often improperly
done. Many of the individuals who are responsible for
determining the proper amounts of pesticide, spray oil, and water
to be mixed make significant errors in their calculations. Some
are confused by the concept of "dilute spray" or by the
correction in the pesticide rate that is made when the pesticide
concentration exceeds AX. These concepts must be understood by
the pesticide applicator. Since they are adequately explained in
other publications, they will not be discussed in this manual. A
list of several of these publications can be found in Section
VIII "References."
Improper spray mixtures contain either too much or too
little pesticide. Too much pesticide is illegal and
economically wasteful; too little pesticide will not provide
proper control of the target pest. In addition, too little
pesticide might require that a second or third spray be applied,
which would result in an even greater economic loss to the
grower. CITMIX provides a simple way to determine the correct
amount of pesticide to apply.
II. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
CITMIX is a microcomputer program that calculates the amount
of pesticide, at selected concentrations, that should be added to
water for application on citrus groves in Florida. If you choose
to add spray oil, then the necessary amount, based on the
selected rate, is also calculated. The program asks you to input
a maximum of six variables:
1. tree height
2. capacity of the spray tank
3. pesticide measure
4. pesticide rate
5. spray concentration
6. spray oil rate
You can change any of these variables before the program
performs the final calculations.
The program returns as output:
1. Amount of pesticide to be added to the tank
2. Amount of spray oil to be added to the tank
3. Amount of pesticide that will be sprayed per acre
4. Amount of spray oil that will be sprayed per acre
5. Amount of spray mix that will be sprayed per acre
6. Number of acres that can be sprayed with one tank
mixture
Nine screens are displayed if the spray oil option is not
chosen; an additional screen is displayed if you choose to add
spray oil. A user familiar with this program can obtain the
desired spray mixture instructions within thirty seconds.
III. PROGRAM SPECIFICATIONS
You must have the most recent copy of the Florida Citrus
Spray Guide, Circular 393 (2), on hand before running CITMIX.
This publication is revised annually. A copy can be obtained
from your local county extension office. Section VII "Ordering
Information" explains how out-of-state users can receive a
copy of this circular.
CITMIX does not require that you be proficient in the use of
microcomputers. All necessary instructions are displayed on the
screens. Only a monochrome monitor is necessary. A printer is
required if you want a hardcopy of the output. CITMIX will run
on the following microcomputers:
1) IBM PC microcomputer or compatible (PC-DOS or
MS-DOS) with either floppy disk or hard disk drives
2) DEC PRO 350/380 (P/OS 1.7 or higher) with a hard disk
drive
This space reserved for future listings of other computer systems.
IV. PROGRAM OPERATION
Unless you are using a hard disk drive system, you should
make a backup copy of the program diskette. Procedures for
making backup copies are described in your microcomputer
operating manual. Below are instructions for using CITMIX
according to which type of microcomputer you have.
DOS MICROCOMPUTERS:
If your system is already on, insert the CITMIX diskette
into the secondary disk drive and type "CITMIX." If your system
is not on, "boot" your system as explained in your DOS operating
manual. The manual will also instruct you on how to access the
disk drive that the CITMIX diskette is in.
If your system has a hard disk,. you may wish to copy the
file CITMIX.COM to a directory on the hard disk. Once that file
is copied, you can run the program by typing "CITMIX" while in
that directory.
PRO 350/380 MICROCOMPUTERS:
Install CITMIX as an application using the INSTALL
APPLICATION option on the DISK SERVICES menu. If you have the
COMMAND LANGUAGE application installed, you could instead copy
the file CITMIX.TSK to a directory on the hard disk. Then, you
can run the program just by typing "RUN CITMIX" while in that
directory. The program will accept only REAL numbers at the
prompts for the amount of water, the pesticide rate, and the
spray concentration. If you do not enter real numbers, the
program may "bomb" or calculate incorrect spray instructions.
This space reserved for future listings of other computer systems.
V. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
CITMIX is very easy to use. You only have to provide
information on seven screens. Four of these screens contain
menus that list the acceptable choices. The other three screens
require that you input a number. In the DOS version, this number
can be either a real number or an integer because the program
will convert it to the required format. If you do not input a
valid number, the program "beeps" and redisplays the screen. The
P/OS version REQUIRES that you input a REAL number. An improper
number, such as ".r4", causes the program to either "bomb" or
calculate incorrect spray instructions.
Once you have chosen all the necessary variables, the
program displays them for your review. At this point, you can
change any of the variables by simply pressing the letter
preceding that variable. The program redisplays the screen
listing the variable and you then input a new value. The program
again displays all the variables for your review. If the
variables are correct, you press to receive spray
instructions.
On several screens CITMIX asks you to type a letter or word
as a response. This letter or word may be in either upper or
lower case letters.
This space reserved for future listings of other computer systems.
VI. SAMPLE RUN
This section allows you to see exactly how CITMIX operates.
The directions assume you are following the example step-by-step
on your microcomputer. In this program, the key causes
the screen to change. On many keyboards this key is not
identified as the key but as or < 4-J >.
Figure 1. Screen 1 CITMIX Title page
The first screen in CITMIX displays the credits (Figure 1) -
the program name, version number, author and his address,
copyright notice, and a short abstract. Press the key
to proceed with the program.
CITRUS SPRAY MIX
Version #.#
by
Thomas R. Fasulo
Department of Entomology and Nematology
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida 32611
Copyright, 1986
University of Florida
Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences
This program calculates the amount of pesticide,
at selected concentrations, and spray oil, if so
desired, to be added to water for application on
citrus groves in Florida.
Press to begin ...
How tall are the trees ?
Figure 2. Screen 2 Select Tree Height
The next screen requires that you select from a menu the
height of the citrus trees that will be sprayed (Figure 2). Find
the correct height on the menu, type the corresponding letter,
and press . The height of the trees determines the total
water gallonage that is required for a dilute spray. Calculation
of the correct spray mixture depends upon determining the correct
dilute gallonage. Although not displayed on the screen, CITMIX
interprets the tree height to reflect the following gallonage:
18 feet or larger
14 feet to 18 feet
10 feet to 14 feet
smaller than 10 feet
- 1500 gallons
- 1000 gallons
- 750 gallons
- 500 gallons
a. 18 feet or larger
b. 14 to 18 feet
c. 10 feet to 14 feet
d. smaller than 10 feet
Type a, b, c, or d then press
Type EITHER:
Figure 3. Screen 3 Input Water Capacity
The third screen (Figure 3) requests that you input the
amount of water that will be added to the spray tank. Many
growers prepare the spray mixture in a separate tank, called a
"nurse tank." In this case, the amount that should be inputted
is the total amount of water you will add to the nurse tank. In
most cases, this variable will be equal to the capacity of the
spray tank. However, CITMIX provides the option of inputting a
smaller amount if you do not desire to completely fill the spray
tank. The program allows you to input amounts as small as one
gallon. As a result, CITMIX can provide the correct spray
mixture instructions for dooryard as well as commercial growers.
Type the correct amount and press .
the TOTAL amount of water your spray tank will hold,
OR
if you plan to use only a partial tank,
then type the amount of water you plan to add.
Then press
What is the unit of measure for the pesticide ?
Figure 4. Screen 4 Select Unit of Measure
The fourth screen (Figure 4) displays a menu requesting the
unit of measure for the pesticide that is to be added. Most
commerical preparations are measured in pounds, ounces (liquid or
dry), gallons, quarts, or pints. Type the letter corresponding
to the proper unit of measure and press .
a. Pounds
b. Ounces liquid or dry
c. Gallons
d. Quarts
e. Pints
Type a, b, c, d, or e then press .
Figure 5. Screen 5 Input Pesticide Rate
The next screen (Figure 5) requests that you input the
amount of pesticide per 500 gallons dilute that is recommended in
the Florida Citrus Spray Guide. Type the correct amount and
press . CITMIX will automatically calculate the amount
of pesticide that should actually be added to the spray mixture.
The appearance of this screen will differ, depending upon the
computer system you are using. The example shown in Figure 5 is
from the DOS version of CITMIX.
Type the amount of pesticide per 500 gallons that
is recommended in the Florida Citrus Spray Guide.
Then press .
Type the spray concentration you wish to use.
Figure 6.
Screen 6 Input Spray Concentration
The next screen (Figure 6) requests that you input the
pesticide concentration that is to be used. Most growers add an
"X" when discussing spray concentrations. Do not worry if you
type. the "X" by mistake when inputting the concentration because
CITMIX will read only the number. Concentrations may be entered
as fractional values and CITMIX will calculate the spray mixture
instructions based on this fractional value.
Figure 7. Screen 7 Select Spray Oil Option
Screen 7 (Figure 7) presents you with the only option of the
entire program. This screen asks you to decide whether or not
you wish to add spray oil to your mixture. You can type either
"yes" or "no" or just "y" or "n." If you decide not to add spray
oil to your mixture, CITMIX displays the review screen
(Figure 9). If spray oil is to be added, CITMIX presents you
with three options (Figure 8).
Then press .
Do you wish to add spray oil to your tank mixture ?
Type (y)es or (n)o.
Some pesticides CANNOT be mixed with oil. Other pesticides
cannot be sprayed within a certain time period BEFORE or AFTER
spraying oil. Damage to fruit or leaves can result if label
warnings are ignored. It is important to READ and HEED the label
before mixing any material with spray oil. Mixtures containing
more oil that water often result in the formation of a water in
oil emulsion, or "mayonnaise," that can prevent discharge from
the sprayer.
Select an oil rate:
a. 1.0 %
b. 0.5 %
c. no oil changed my mind
Type a, b, or c then press .
Figure 8. Screen 8 Select Spray Oil Rate
Figure 8 shows the three spray oil options from which you
can choose. CITMIX also allows you to change your mind and not
add spray oil after reading the precautionary statement. Select
one of the three options and press .
Figure 9. Screen 9 Review Variables
Screen 9 (Figure 9) displays for your review all the
variables you have selected. Check the variables to be sure they
are correct. If the variables are all correct, press the
key to receive spray instructions. (On some computer
systems, the screen displays instructions telling you to press
the key twice.) If any of the variables are incorrect,
type the letter preceding that variable. (On some computer
systems, the screen displays instructions telling you to press
the key after typing the letter.) After you type a
letter, the program redisplays the screen associated with that
variable (Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 and 8). After inputting
the correct value, press and the program returns to the
review screen (Figure 9). When all the values are correct, press
for the spray instructions.
This is a review of the variables you have entered:
a. The height of the trees is 10 feet to 14 feet
b. The spray tank will hold 250.00 gallons
c. The pesticide is measured in pints
d. The amount of pesticide per 500 gallons dilute is 1.75
e. The spray concentration is 6.0 X
f. The oil rate is 1.0%
If you wish to change a variable,
type the corresponding letter,
or just press for spray mixture instructions.
To spray at 6.00 X concentration using 1.75 pints per
5 00 gallons on a
750.00 gallons dilute per acre basis, you
should add:
5.25 pints of pesticide, plus 15.00 gallons of spray
oil to each 250.00 gallon tank.
This will give you 1.97 pints of pesticide
and 5.62 gallons of spray oil
in 93.75 gallons of spray mix per acre.
With a 250.00 gallon tank you will be able to spray 2.67 acres.
Type (n)o to exit the program or (y)es to run it again -
then press .
Figure 10. Screen 10 Spray Mixture with Spray Oil
Figure 10 displays the spray instructions CITMIX calculated
for the variables displayed in Figure 9. These instructions
include spray oil at 1.0 percent. To run CITMIX again, type
"yes" or "y" and then press . To exit CITMIX, type "no"
or "n" and then press .
To spray at 6.00 X concentration using 1.75 pints per
500 gallons on a
750.00 gallons dilute per acre basis, you
should add:
5.25 pints
of pesticide
to each 250.00 gallon tank.
This will give you 1.97 pints of pesticide
in 93.75 gallons of spray mix per acre.
With a 250.00 gallon tank you will be able to spray 2.67 acres.
Type (n)o to exit the program or (y)es to run it again -
then press .
Figure 11. Screen 10 Spray Mixture Without Spray Oil
Figure 11 displays the spray instructions you would have
received if you had also chosen the variables displayed in Figure
9, but without spray oil. To run CITMIX again, type "yes" or "y"
and then press . To exit CITMIX, type "no" or "n" and
then press .
VII. ORDERING INFORMATION
For more information on this and other IFAS microcomputer
software, contact your county extension agent or write:
IFAS Software Communication and Distribution
Building 120 Room 203
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL 32611
U.S.A.
To obtain the IFAS publications referenced in the next
section, contact your county extension agent or write:
Publications
IFAS Bldg. 664
Gainesville, FL 32611
U.S.A.
VIII. REFERENCES
1. Cromwell, Richard P. Citrus Growers Guide to Air Spraying,
Circular 351. Institute of Food and Agricultural
Sciences, University of Florida. 1975.
2. Knapp, J.L.; D.P.H. Tucker; and T.R. Fasulo. Florida Citrus
Sprav Guide, Circular 393K. Institute of Food and
Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. 1985.
3. Knapp, J.L. and T.W. Oswalt. "Pesticide Application" -
Florida Citrus Integrated Pest and Crop Management
Handbook, SP-14. Institute of Food and Agricultural
Sciences, University of Florida. 1983.
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