Overview
ISO 5682-2:2017 - Equipment for crop protection - Spraying equipment - Part 2 specifies standardized test methods to assess horizontal transverse distribution for hydraulic sprayers. It applies to sprayers intended to apply liquid over a horizontal surface (excludes aerial sprayers) and defines measurement approaches based on sprayed liquid volume, nozzle flow rate, or nozzle tip pressure. The document complements ISO 5682-1:2017 (nozzle test methods) and ISO 5681 (vocabulary).
Key topics and requirements
- Scope and applicability
- Applies to hydraulic sprayers for horizontal surface applications; aerial sprayers are excluded.
- Tests are performed on a complete spray boom while the whole boom is spraying.
- Three complementary test methods
- Sprayed liquid volume measurement (horizontal patternator): measures volume/mass distribution across grooves and reports % of mean and coefficient of variation.
- Nozzle flow rate measurement: evaluates individual nozzle flows across the boom.
- Nozzle tip pressure measurement: evaluates pressure at nozzle tips as an indirect measure of distribution.
- Measuring equipment and patternator
- Measuring equipment must conform to ISO 5682-1:2017.
- Horizontal patternator groove spacing (25 mm or 50 mm) can be summed to a 100 mm equivalence where needed.
- Test conditions and controls
- Test liquid and air temperature must be between 5 °C and 35 °C.
- Control pressure must stay within ±5% of intended pressure during tests.
- Choice of nozzle type, size, filters and anti-drip devices must follow manufacturer specifications and be documented.
- Collection period for volume tests must ensure a maximum 1.0% measurement error.
- Nozzle positioning and alignment
- Verify nozzle spacing, lateral/longitudinal inclination and orientation; report angular deviations and nozzle spacing measurements.
- Reporting
- Test reports include total flow (L/min), number of nozzles spraying, graphs/tables of percent mean volumes, and coefficient of variation. Annexes provide report templates and guidance.
Applications and users
ISO 5682-2 is used by:
- Sprayer manufacturers for design validation and quality control
- Test laboratories and certification bodies conducting performance and compliance tests
- Agricultural equipment R&D and agronomists assessing spray uniformity
- Regulatory agencies and procurement teams specifying performance criteria
The standard helps verify uniform spray distribution, optimize nozzle selection and boom setup, and support equipment claims related to application accuracy and drift control.
Related standards
- ISO 5682-1:2017 - Test methods for sprayer nozzles (measuring equipment and patternators)
- ISO 5681 - Vocabulary for equipment for crop protection
Keywords: ISO 5682-2:2017, hydraulic sprayers, transverse distribution, spray boom, patternator, nozzle flow rate, nozzle tip pressure, sprayed liquid volume measurement, crop protection equipment.
