Development of improved air assist sprayer for dense nursery crops

Spray deposits and off-target loss in nurseries

H. Zhu, R.C. Derksen, C.R. Krause, R.D. Brazee, H.E. Ozkan
USDA-ARS Application Technology Research Unit, Wooster, OH

Acknowledgement to Sunleaf Nursery, LLP for support.

Objective:

Investigate spray techniques to improve pesticide application quality within canopies and reduce off-target loss.

Spray with air induction nozzles, conventional hollow cone nozzles and drift retardants

Spray samples

Percentage of total spray application rate deposited within a tree canopy from the air blast sprayer with air induction nozzles (AI), hollow cone nozzles (HC), and hollow cone nozzles spraying a drift retardant (HCDR).

Percentage of total spray application rate deposited on the ground at different distances from the sprayer.