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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Wooster, Ohio » Application Technology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #296793
Title: Development of variable-rate precision spraying systems for tree crop production

Author
item Zhu, Heping
item CHEN, YU - The Ohio State University
item LU, HUI - The Ohio State University
item SHEN, YUE - The Ohio State University
item Jeon, Hongyoung
item GU, JIABING - Nanjing Agricultural University
item 0ZKAN, ERDAL - The Ohio State University
item Derksen, Richard
item Reding, Michael - Mike
item Ranger, Christopher
item CANAS, LUIS - The Ohio State University
item Krause, Charles
item Locke, James
item ERNST, STAN - The Ohio State University
item ZONDAG, RANDY - The Ohio State University
item FULCHER, AMY - University Of Tennessee
item ROSETTA, ROBIN - Oregon State University

Submitted to: Workshop Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/20/2013
Publication Date: 9/10/2013
Citation: Zhu, H., Chen, Y., Lu, H., Shen, Y., Jeon, H., Gu, J., 0zkan, E., Derksen, R.C., Reding, M.E., Ranger, C.M., Canas, L., Krause, C.R., Locke, J.C., Ernst, S., Zondag, R., Fulcher, A., Rosetta, R. 2013. Development of variable-rate precision spraying systems for tree crop production. Workshop Proceedings. 12th Workshop on Spray Application Techniques in Fruit Growing (Suprofruit 2013), June 26-28, 2013, Valencia, Spain. p. 123-125.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Excessive pesticides are often applied to target and non-target areas in orchards and nurseries, resulting in greater production costs, worker exposure to unnecessary pesticide risks, and adverse contamination of the environment. To improve spray application efficiency, two types of variable-rate precision sprayers were developed for tree crop applications. The first sprayer was a hydraulic vertical boom spraying system which was proposed to spray relatively small narrow trees such as liners, and the second sprayer was an air-assisted spraying system which was proposed to spray wide varieties of nursery and fruit tree crops. Field test results demonstrated that the newly developed sprayers have great potential to bring great reductions in pesticide use for tree crop productions. Compared to conventional constant-rate sprayers, the new variable-rate sprayers greatly reduced variations in spray deposition due to changes in tree growth, increased consistence of spray deposition uniformity inside canopies at different growth stages, minimized off-target losses, and reduced pesticide use.