Choosing the Right Nozzle for Every Application
Nozzle selection is the single most influential decision a spray operator makes — affecting coverage, drift, label compliance, and chemical efficacy. This guide walks you through the complete process, from conventional broadcast sizing to PWM systems, with practical tools you can use in the field today.
Selecting the right nozzle begins with understanding what each design was engineered to do. The table below compares the most common TeeJet nozzle families used in broadacre farming — covering droplet profile, pressure range, drift behavior, PWM compatibility, and ideal applications.
| Nozzle | Full Name | Droplet Range | Pressure | Drift Risk | PWM | Best Fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XR | Extended Range Flat Fan | Fine – Medium | 15–60 PSI | Moderate–High | Yes | Pre-emergence systemic herbicides; controller systems; post-emerge systemic at low pressure |
| TT | Turbo TeeJet | Medium – Very Coarse | 15–90 PSI | Moderate | Yes | Versatile all-purpose broadcast; widest droplet range with pressure changes; herbicides & fungicides |
| TTJ60 | Turbo TwinJet | Medium – Coarse | 15–90 PSI | Moderate | Yes | Canopy penetration for fungicides; dual-fan front & back coverage; post-emergence |
| AIXR | Air Induction XR | Coarse – Very Coarse | 15–90 PSI | Low | Limited | Balanced drift control with good coverage; herbicides across wide speed/pressure range |
| AI | Air Induction TeeJet | Very Coarse – EC | 20–80 PSI | Very Low | Not recommended | Drift-sensitive areas; high-speed self-propelled; dicamba/auxin label compliance |
| TTI | Turbo TeeJet Induction | Coarse – EC | 20–90 PSI | Very Low | Yes (select sizes) | Best-in-class drift reduction; wider pressure window than AI; high-speed; dicamba use |
| AITTJ60 | AI Turbo TwinJet | Coarse – Ultra Coarse | 20–90 PSI | Very Low | Yes | Drift control + canopy penetration; dual-fan + air induction; dense canopy fungicides |
| DG | Drift Guard TeeJet | Coarse – Very Coarse | 20–60 PSI | Low | Select models | Drift reduction; budget-friendly alternative to full air-induction designs |
| Wilger Combo-Jet (all series) | Combo-Jet MR / SR / UR / SR Turbo | Fine – Ultra Coarse (series-dependent) | 20–90 PSI | Low–Very Low | All series, all systems | Universally PWM-compatible; drift reduction without air induction — no air-inlet flooding concern; sliding scale of coarseness by series |
Sources: TeeJet Technologies Broadcast Nozzle Selection Guide; TeeJet SpraySelect; Wilger Industries Combo-Jet documentation. Always confirm PWM compatibility with your specific system manufacturer.
Every nozzle produces a range of droplet sizes — not a single size. The ASABE Standard S572.3 defines seven spray quality categories from Extremely Fine (XF) to Ultra Coarse (UC). Pesticide labels for products like dicamba may legally require a minimum droplet size. Always check.
Research Findings — Droplet Size in Practice
Coarse is a strong starting point for most broadacre applications — it provides a good balance of coverage and drift control. Very Fine and Fine droplets evaporate faster, drift more, and are now restricted or prohibited on many pesticide labels. Grassy weed targets (vertical, waxy leaves) generally require more droplets and higher water volumes rather than finer sprays. Contact herbicides and fungicides need more coverage than systemic products that translocate within the plant. Source: Tom Wolf, Ph.D. — Sprayers 101
Every TeeJet nozzle follows a standardized naming format that encodes the nozzle series, spray angle, and flow rate size. The ISO color standard for flow rate is universal across all major nozzle brands.
110 = Spray angle (110°)
04 = Flow rate size (0.4 GPM @ 40 PSI)
VP = Material (Polymer with VisiFlo® color)
ISO Nozzle Size Color Code — Universal Across Brands
All flow rates are at 40 PSI using water at 70°F. Actual rates vary with pressure and formulation. Source: ISO nozzle standard; Sprayers 101 (Tom Wolf, Ph.D.)
Use this tool to determine the required nozzle flow rate for your application. For final verification — especially on PWM systems — use the Wilger Tip Wizard (Section 8), which accounts for solenoid pressure drop by specific system brand.
Nozzle Flow Rate Calculator
Enter your application parameters to calculate required GPM per nozzle and get a recommended nozzle size.
Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) changes how nozzle sizing works. Rather than controlling flow with pressure alone, PWM systems use a solenoid valve at each nozzle body to rapidly pulse the nozzle open and closed — typically 10 times per second. The percentage of time the solenoid is open is called the duty cycle.
Below 20–30% duty cycle, spray pattern and droplet size become inconsistent. Wilger's guidance: use duty cycle as a pass/fail check, not the primary selection driver. Select the nozzle that produces your ideal spray quality at the right pressure first — then verify the duty cycle stays in range. Source: Wilger Industries; UGA CAES Extension; TeeJet DynaJet User Guide.
PWM-Compatible Nozzle Families
| Nozzle | Air Induction | Droplet Range (PWM) | Recommended PWM Use | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TT — Turbo TeeJet | No | Medium – Very Coarse | Herbicide, burndown, broad-acre | Most versatile; widest droplet range across pressure changes |
| TTJ60 — Turbo TwinJet | No | Medium – Coarse | Fungicide canopy penetration | Dual-fan improves coverage in dense canopies |
| TTI — Turbo TeeJet Induction | Yes (PWM-approved) | Coarse – EC | Drift-sensitive herbicides, dicamba | Best TeeJet drift-reduction option approved for PWM; confirm specific sizes |
| AITTJ60 — AI Turbo TwinJet | Yes (PWM-approved) | Coarse – Ultra Coarse | Drift-critical + canopy penetration | Dual-fan + air induction; maximum drift control with coverage |
| Wilger Combo-Jet (all series) | No (not required) | Fine – Ultra Coarse | All applications; all PWM systems | Drift reduction by tip geometry — no air-inlet flooding concern with any solenoid cycling frequency |
Precision Planting Symphony Platform Note
The Symphony nozzle system (SymphonyNozzle) operates as a PWM platform integrated with the Precision Planting 20|20 Gen 3 monitor. Nozzle sizing follows the same methodology described above. Symphony provides individual nozzle control and turn compensation — adjusting duty cycle per nozzle around curves. This makes correct nozzle sizing at the right duty cycle even more critical: when each nozzle is acting independently, sizing errors become more visible as pattern gaps or over-application at boom ends.
Different pesticide classes, timing windows, and canopy conditions have different biological and physical requirements for the spray. The following is consistent with TeeJet's Broadcast Nozzle Selection Guide and Sprayers 101 research guidance.
- Pre-emergence / Soil-applied: Coarse–VC; TT, AIXR, TTI; 10–15 GPA
- Post-emerge systemic (glyphosate): Coarse; TT or TTI; 5–7 GPA; lower water OK
- Post-emerge contact: Coarse–VC; AIXR or TTJ60; higher GPA for coverage
- Dicamba / Auxin (XtendiMax, Engenia): Very Coarse minimum per label; TTI or AITTJ60; drift buffer distances mandatory
- Grassy weeds (vertical targets): More water + Coarse droplets; TT or AIXR at 8–12 GPA
- Early season (low canopy): Coarse; TT or AIXR; 7–10 GPA
- Full canopy (wheat flag leaf, soybean R3): Coarse–Medium; 10–15 GPA; TTJ60 or AITTJ60 for penetration
- Late-season dense canopy: 15+ GPA; smaller droplets penetrate better; TTJ60 at lower pressure
- General principle: More water + more droplets = better fungicide coverage; prioritize canopy penetration
- Foliar contact (aphids, thrips): Medium–Coarse; TT or TTJ60; 7–10 GPA
- Systemic / translaminar: Coarse; TTI or AIXR; standard GPA
- Lower canopy targets: TTJ60 dual-fan for improved penetration
- Near sensitive areas: Very Coarse; TTI; increase GPA to maintain droplet numbers
- Broadcast UAN/28%: Coarse–VC to minimize volatilization and leaf burn; TT or TTI; 15–20 GPA
- Foliar micronutrients: Medium–Coarse; TT or AIXR at moderate pressure
- Post-emerge foliar: Avoid fine droplets — increases foliar contact and burn risk; Coarse preferred
- Material compatibility: Verify nozzle material resistance to fertilizer formulation
Regardless of what you're spraying, nozzle selection follows a consistent four-step process. Skipping any step leads to poor results — drift, off-label compliance issues, or inadequate coverage.
| Step | Action | Key Questions | Tools to Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| ① Define Objectives | Identify your primary need: drift reduction, canopy penetration, or label compliance. Review past nozzle performance. Note any label-mandated droplet size requirements. | What failed last season? What are you spraying and where? Any auxin herbicide or dicamba label requirements? | Pesticide label; your own field notes |
| ② Calculate Flow Rate | Determine the GPM per nozzle needed to deliver your target GPA at your operating speed and nozzle spacing. For PWM, size at 75% duty cycle at your average field speed. | What GPA do I need? What speed will I run? What spacing is my boom? | Calculator (Section 4); Wilger Tip Wizard; Sprayers 101 sizing charts |
| ③ Select Nozzle Type | Using your objectives and the nozzle matrix (Section 1), identify the nozzle series that fits. Confirm the nozzle produces your target spray quality at the pressure range from Step 2. | What droplet class do I need? Does my operating pressure match the nozzle's optimal range? Is it PWM-approved? | TeeJet SpraySelect; Wilger Tip Wizard; TeeJet nozzle charts |
| ④ Verify in Field | Check actual boom pressure against speed after installation. For air-induction nozzles, target 60–70 PSI at average operating speed. Use pressure as a speedometer — rising pressure = slower speed. | Is my actual rate within 5% of target? Is pressure in the mid-range of the nozzle's operating window? | Boom pressure gauge; catch containers; sprayer calibration procedure |
The Wilger Tip Wizard is the most grower-friendly nozzle sizing tool available, and it works for any nozzle brand on any PWM system — not just Wilger tips. Tom Wolf (Sprayers 101) specifically recommends it for PWM nozzle sizing because it is the only free tool that accounts for solenoid pressure drop by specific system brand.
Bookmark these resources — they cover everything from official product documentation and independent research to printable field charts and video walkthroughs.