# Hard Water and Herbicides



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Do you use AMS.....maybe you should be.

Regards, Mike

http://www.progressiveforage.com/forage-production/management/hard-water-affects-herbicide-efficacy


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## Bonfire (Oct 21, 2012)

I was looking into this just the other day. No, really, I was.


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## SwingOak (May 19, 2014)

I filled my sprayer tank yesterday with water from the barn (straight from the well), instead of the house (softened). I mixed 60 gallons of water with a quart of surfactant, a half ounce of anti-foam, and 2-4,d at 1%. Apprently this combination caused something to precipitate out of solution, clogged up the strainers and all the nozzle filters, and has been a nightmare trying to clean out. I'll have to get a sock filter or something and pump all the mix out of the tank into another tank, and clean everything out. Now having read this, I suppose maybe I should have also added AMS...


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

SwingOak said:


> I filled my sprayer tank yesterday with water from the barn (straight from the well), instead of the house (softened). I mixed 60 gallons of water with a quart of surfactant, a half ounce of anti-foam, and 2-4,d at 1%. Apprently this combination caused something to precipitate out of solution, clogged up the strainers and all the nozzle filters, and has been a nightmare trying to clean out. I'll have to get a sock filter or something and pump all the mix out of the tank into another tank, and clean everything out. Now having read this, I suppose maybe I should have also added AMS...


Maybe the anti-foam.

Regards, Mike


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## SwingOak (May 19, 2014)

Vol said:


> Maybe the anti-foam.
> 
> Regards, Mike


Didn't have a problem with it in my other sprayer. I did use a different surfactant this time too (Fixate).


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

We add enough 28% to the solution to make a 5% mix and this is supposed to replace the AMS. Haven't had a problem yet doing it this way, the 28% is a lot cheaper than messing with bags of AMS as well.


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## Bonfire (Oct 21, 2012)

I'm going to get five gallons of this Friday when I go to town.

http://www.herbicide-adjuvants.com/Adjuvant_Labels/Drexel%20Chemical%20Co/AMS-Xtra.pdf


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## SwingOak (May 19, 2014)

Only took three hours but I got the sprayer cleaned out, and because I'm betting it's done precipitating whatever was in there I double filtered the mix - filtered pumping it out, and when I put it back in.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

I suppose to it matters just how hard your water is, according to a water test we set our water softener at 35 grains.


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