Advanced spraying techniques in fruit growing--the ISAFRUIT project--towards safer and better quality of fruit

In 2006 the project ISAFRUIT (www.isafruit.org)--"Increasing fruit consumption through a trans disciplinary approach leading to high quality produce from environmentally safe, sustainable methods"--was launched within the 6th Framework Program of the EC. Within the project's work package ECOFRUIT (WP 5.1 - Safe European fruit from a healthy environment) a Crop Adapted Spray Application (CASA) system is developed. This system is developed to ensure efficient and safe spray application in orchards according to actual needs and with respect to the environment. The system consists of three components: 1. Crop Identification System (CIS), 2. Environmentally Dependent Application System (EDAS), and 3. Crop Health Sensor (CHS). A sprayer prototype able to automatically adapt spray and air distribution according to the characteristics of the target, to the level of crop disease and to the environmental conditions is under development.