Outcomes on the Spray Profiles Produced by the Feasible Adjustments of Commonly Used Sprayers in “Tendone” Vineyards of Apulia (Southern Italy)

Abstract

Abstract:The objective of the research was to assess the outcomes on the spray patterns produced by the different feasible adjustments of two different air blast sprayers and one mist blower sprayer, commonly employed for treatments to Apulian "tendone" vineyards. The spray profiles of these machines and the respective refinements affected by the alteration of the available adjusting devices were evaluated using a test bench, suitably set up for calibrating the sprayers used inside such vines. The air blast sprayers, compared with the mist blower model, have a better chance to match the spray pattern and the canopy profile of the "tendone" vines. Furthermore, the left-right asymmetry of the spray profile is reduced only in the case of sprayers with two counter-rotating fans, under certain operating conditions. Conversely, the symmetry index worsens with the activation of the fan in the case of the air blast sprayer fitted with a single fan either with or without the air deflectors. The mist blower sprayer develops lower drawbacks, in terms of left-right asymmetry of the spray profile, even if the high "stiffness" of the spray profile makes this sprayer not particularly suitable to the changing needs of the canopy of the "tendone" vineyards. The obtained results, even if related to the analyzed sprayers, can represent an original base of reference to set up guidelines for the adjustment of sprayers used for treatments inside "tendone" vineyards, very useful for the officially authorized Apulian workshops to make sprayers inspection and calibration.

Sentinel-2 Validation for Spatial Variability Assessment in Overhead Trellis System Viticulture Versus UAV and Agronomic Data

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Effect of the Airblast Settings on the Vertical Spray Profile: Implementation on an On-Line Decision Aid for Citrus Treatments

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Performance Assessment of Front-Mounted Beet Topper Machine for Biomass Harvesting

“…The research focuses on a new three-row beet top harvesting machine equipped with improved working devices which allow the machine to cut the beet tops and transport them into a loading chute [43][44][45][46]. In particular, the developed front-mounted beet top harvester is founded on the concept of a mower-shredder and is mounted on a wheeled tractor (Figure 1a), from which it receives motion and power by means of a cardan universal joint (7 in Figure 1b) linked to the power take-off of the tractor itself.…”