Getting started is easy. Just follow the following steps:

1. Create an account. If you manage a farm/orchard/vineyard select Manager as your role. If you are going to be handling the mixing/loading/spraying tasks then select Farm User.
2. If you wish to receive email notifications then be sure to fill in your email address. Be on the lookout for an email requesting to verify your email address.

That's it. Now if you are a manager you can login to the system and create a farm, define the fields on the farm, and start creating tasks for your workers.

The SAM Tool website and mobile applications provide a list of blocks that have been closed due to spraying and should not be entered by the public or workers. There are two approaches available to determine when a block may be entered after spraying. Both of these use the Re-Entry Interval (REI) stored for each pesticide. The REI period is the number of hours after spraying that the block should not be entered. If the REI period is not specified for a product we assume the interval should be 24 hours. (FYI the Canadian OSHA recommends 12 hours if the REI period is not known. So, we are being overly cautious.)

• Strict Regulatory
• Conservative.

For the Strict Regulatory approach, the REI is added to the time the spraying task was completed. If that time is after the current time, then the block is listed as being closed.

For the Conservative approach, we use the following to determine if a block is closed. We start the REI period at midnight following when the block was sprayed. If the end if the REI period is after the current time then the field is closed.

So, lets say that spraying a block was completed at 3:45 pm on Day 1 and the product has a REI of 24 hours. The REI period would start at midnight of Day 2, be closed all day on Day 2, and would could be entered on Day 3.

Some vineyards and farms allow the public to stroll through their production blocks. Their tasting rooms or visitor tour staff use the closed block list to determine which blocks are off limits to the public. Since the public is involved they may feel that it is prudent to be overly cautious and thus choose to use the Conservative approach.

Ensuring that you are applying the proper dosage of a pesticide/herbicide is just as important as picking the proper product. For the correct dosage your sprayer must be calibrated.

Here are the 6 steps to sprayer calibration courtisy of the Frame Network.

1. Check speed
2. Adjust the direction of the air
3. Match the air volume and speed to the canopy
4. Calculate and record the expected nozzle output
5. Measure nozzle output
6. Verify coverage