Ecological Efficiency Assessment of a Specific Machine for Distribution of Pesticides in Vineyards of Apulian Region

The goal of the present research was to assess, through field tests, the environmental performance of a prototype of tunnel sprayer machine, specifically designed for the distribution of pesticides in Apulian espalier vineyards which cover a significant percentage of the national wine producing area, whereas there are no machines designed to meet the agronomic requirements of these crops. The tests were characterized by a comparison between the prototype and a standard air sprayer, so also an assessment of the off-target during different distributions. The operating agronomic and weather conditions were extremely adverse: wind speeds exceeding 15 km/h, not pruning crop and, in one of the tests, speed of the machine close to the upper limit for the treated crops. Despite the conditions in which the tests were carried out, by the use of the prototype, the event of the drift affected an area at less than 4 m from the sprayed row, significantly reducing the risk of contamination of nearby crops and housing; it was, however, found the limit by the panels of not ensuring total effectiveness of containment of the drops, which led to high leakage into the ground (risk of moving to more far areas) even if only in correspondence of the row adjacent to the sprayed one. Overall, the prototype allows a recovery of the sprayed product by at least 19%, which results in a lower environmental impact and lower costs of crop protection.