Pneumatic spray delivery-based fixed spray system configuration optimization for efficient agrochemical application...

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Engineering
• Horticultural Science
• Pest Management

Background:

• Existing hydraulic spray delivery (HSD)-based solid set canopy delivery system (SSCDS) in vertical shoot position (VSP) vineyards utilizes expensive emitters and hinders mechanical pruning.
• A pneumatic spray delivery (PSD)-based SSCDS variant was developed to overcome these limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To optimize the spray performance of a novel PSD-based SSCDS variant for agrochemical applications in VSP vineyards.
• To evaluate three distinct PSD-SSCDS emitter configurations (C1-C3) using modified low-cost emitters.

Main Methods:

• Three configurations were tested: C1 (modified flat fan emitters on posts), C2 (90° modular flat fan emitters per vine), and C3 (combination of C1 and C2 placements).
• Spray deposition and coverage were quantified using mylar cards and water-sensitive paper within the vineyard canopy.

Main Results:

• Configuration C3 achieved the highest spray deposition (837.6 ± 92.53 ng cm⁻²) and coverage (28.84 ± 2.46%).
• Configuration C1 showed moderate deposition (301.12 ± 63.30 ng cm⁻²) and coverage (18.02 ± 2.63%).
• Configuration C2 exhibited the lowest deposition (347.9 ± 66.29 ng cm⁻²) and coverage (8.98 ± 1.84%).

Conclusions:

• Configuration C3 significantly outperformed C1 and C2 in both spray deposition and coverage.
• The PSD-based SSCDS variant, particularly C3, offers reduced installation costs and emitter density per hectare.
• This optimized system provides improved spray performance for agrochemical applications in VSP vineyards compared to prior HSD-SSCDS configurations.