This paper reports the results of spray application trials in a “tendone” trained vineyard in order to evaluate the influence of forward speed and air volume on the foliar deposition of Plant Protection Products (PPPs), maintaining roughly constant the volume applied. The trials used an air-assisted sprayer with a centrifugal fan and 4+4 adjustable fan-shaped diffusers, each with a nozzle-holder group. A full factorial experimental design was implemented, with three forward speeds and two airflow rates, organized with a randomised complete block design including three replicates. In order to consider the influence of canopy development, the tests (one spray application for each replicate of a mixture containing a water-soluble food dye as a tracer) were replicated during two phenological stages: the “end of flowering” and “berry touch” stages. Leaves were picked at random from the canopy after each spray treatment, and foliar PPP deposition was evaluated using a spectrophotometer. This analysis of foliar deposition showed that the airflow rates produced by the fan were unsuitable for the dense canopy typical of this type of vineyard. However, the special shape of the diffusers may make this sprayer effective if the main objective of pesticide applications in “tendone” table grape vineyards is to control bunch diseases.
THE EFFECTS OF THE FORWARD SPEED AND AIR VOLUME OF AN AIR-ASSISTED SPRAYER ON SPRAY DEPOSITION IN «TENDONE» TRAINED VINEYARDS
PASCUZZI, Simone
2013-01-01
Abstract
This paper reports the results of spray application trials in a “tendone” trained vineyard in order to evaluate the influence of forward speed and air volume on the foliar deposition of Plant Protection Products (PPPs), maintaining roughly constant the volume applied. The trials used an air-assisted sprayer with a centrifugal fan and 4+4 adjustable fan-shaped diffusers, each with a nozzle-holder group. A full factorial experimental design was implemented, with three forward speeds and two airflow rates, organized with a randomised complete block design including three replicates. In order to consider the influence of canopy development, the tests (one spray application for each replicate of a mixture containing a water-soluble food dye as a tracer) were replicated during two phenological stages: the “end of flowering” and “berry touch” stages. Leaves were picked at random from the canopy after each spray treatment, and foliar PPP deposition was evaluated using a spectrophotometer. This analysis of foliar deposition showed that the airflow rates produced by the fan were unsuitable for the dense canopy typical of this type of vineyard. However, the special shape of the diffusers may make this sprayer effective if the main objective of pesticide applications in “tendone” table grape vineyards is to control bunch diseases.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
