Influence of canopy vineyard target presence in sprayers drift potential assessment using a test

bench device.

Marco Grella, Paolo Marucco and Paolo BalsariDepartment of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences (DiSAFA), University of Turin (UNITO), Largo Paolo Braccini, 2, 10095 Grugliasco (TO), ItalyEmail address: marco.grella@unito.it

15th Workshop on Spray Application and Precision Technology in Fruit Growing16 – 18 July 2019 - East Malling, United Kingdom

Introduction Materials & methods Results & discussion Conclusions

Difficulties to meet the athmosphericconditions required by ISO

QUANTIFYING SPRAY DRIFT and CLASSIFY PAE AS DRIFT REDUCTION.

Currently, the unique standardized procedure officially recognized to assess spray drift amount generated by PAE used in tree/bush crops, and to classify their drift reduction performance is that provided by

ISO22866:2005

Difficulties to apply ISO field layout

• Air temperature between 5 and 35°C• RH (no limitation)• Wind speed- Mean > 1m s-1

- Minimum and maximum (no limitation)- Outliers (< 1m s-1) < of 10% of records (using 1Hz samplingfrequency)• Wind direction- Mean between 90 ± 30° azimuth (spray track)- Centered direction (no more than 30% of records shall be > 45° azimuth from the perpendicular of the spray track)

• Difficulties to find a suitable crop (rows orientation) in relation to the site-specific wind characteristics

• Bare soil parcel downwind to the sprayed area

It is very difficult to obtainrepeteable results even if

ISO22866 requirements are accomplished!!!

Introduction Materials & methods Results & discussion Conclusions

Classification of PAE as drift reduction.

The extent of spray drift reduction is calculated relative to a reference PAE

The method of CALCULATION and CLASSIFICATION is provided by ISO22369-1:2006

Introduction Materials & methods Results & discussion Conclusions

Reference spray system???

The reference spray system should be representative of real operative situation(sprayer type, nozzles, crops)

the most diffuse/representative of Country/Region where the evaluation is done!!!

E.g. of reference sprayer for Italian vineyard context:

• Conventional axial fan sprayer• Fan diameter: 700 – 800 mm• Conventional nozzles• Liquid pressure: 10-15 Bar• Forward speed: 5 – 7 Km/h• Volume applied: 500-700 l/ha (full growth stage)

In some region the presence of pneumatic sprayers is relevant!

Introduction Materials & methods Results & discussion Conclusions

Recently DiSAFA (UNITO) in collaboration with DEAB (UPC) have developed an alternative test method to perform COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF SPRAY DRIFT POTENTIAL generated by airblast sprayer.

…TRYING TO AVOID THE UNCONTROLLABLE VARIABLES THAT STRONGLY AFFECT FINAL RESULTS

ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS CROP

Canopy architecture, development, layout, training system and

growth stage

THE PROPOSED TEST METHOD IS BASED ON THE USE OF A TEST BENCH DEVICE and

IT IS AIMED TO EASILY AND PROPERLY CLASSIFY THE PAE AS A FUNCTION OF THEIR DRIFT REDUCTION PERFORMANCE

Especially wind effect

Introduction Materials & methods Results & discussion Conclusions

Layout of the proposed method to determinePOTENTIAL DRIFT and classify PAE accordingly.

20m

20m

1.5m

20m

0.5m

Trigger system to reveal the collectors after 4s the sprayer (nozzles) pass in front test bench.

Test bench.

Concrete flat lane.

40 Petri dishes placed in the slots and initiallycovered by test bench sliding iron plates.

Test bench closed with collectors inside it. Sprayer starts the application using only the side facing the test bench acitvated.

Trigger system activated by sprayer pass and collectors revealed by test bench opening.

Weather station.

Absence of target between

sprayer and test bench

AIM OF TEST BENCH DEVICE.

The test bench collects the spray fraction, defined ‘‘potential drift fraction’’, that remainssuspended over the test bench immediately after passage of the sprayer and can

potentially be carried out of the target by environmental air currents.

Introduction Materials & methods Results & discussion Conclusions

LABORATORY ANALYSES.

Determination of tracer amount collected by samplers and built the test bench deposition curves.

Calculation of Drift Potential Values:𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷 = �𝐷𝐷𝑖𝑖

𝑛𝑛

𝑖𝑖=1

∗ 𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶 𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶𝐶 = �𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝐷𝑛𝑛∗10

10

𝑛𝑛=1

Grella, M., Gil, E., Balsari, P., Marucco, P., Gallart, M. (2017). Advances in developing a new test method to assess spray drift potential from air blast sprayers. Spanish Journal ofAgricultural Research 15(3), e0207. DOI 10.5424/sjar/2017153-10580

Introduction Materials & methods Results & discussion Conclusions

Main REMARKS on the proposed potential driftmeasurement method.

5 m downwind distance

0%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

0.4 0.8 2.4 3.6Leaf Area Index (LAI)

Drift

(% of

appli

catio

n rate

)

Influence of crop architecture (canopies):

• Growth stage• Variety

• Training system• Pruning system

BBCH:11 BBCH:55 BBCH:65 BBCH:79BBCH:18

Example: espalier-trained vineyard (Cv. Pinot Grigio) Guyot pruned

Introduction Materials & methods Results & discussion Conclusions

OBJECTIVES OF THE WORK.

TO VALIDATE IN A VINEYARD CROP THE PROPOSED TEST BENCH METHODOLOGY (WITHOUT TARGET)

THROUGH THE COMPARISON OF THE POTENTIAL SPRAY DRIFT VALUES OBTAINED WITH PRESENCE OF A TARGET and WITHOUT A TARGET

Introduction Materials & methods Results & discussion Conclusions

Introduction Materials & methods Results & discussion Conclusions

SPRAYER TESTED.

Mounted Dragone k2 500• Hydraulic atomization

• Axial fan 600mm• Tower shaped

Trailed Nobili Oktopus• Hydraulic atomization

• Radial fan 450 mm• Individual spout

Mounted Cima 50 Plus • Pnuematic atomization

• Radial fan 500 mm• Spray head TC.2M2C

Introduction Materials & methods Results & discussion Conclusions

TRIALS PERFORMED.

Sprayer: Dragone k2 500Nozzles type and total flow rate: • ATR 80 orange (active n° 6 → 16.32 L min-1)Fan air volume: HIGH (20,000 m3 h-1)Forward speed: 6 Km/h

Sprayer: Nobili OktopusNozzles type and total flow rate: • ATR 80 orange (active n° 6 → 16.32 L min-1)Fan air volume: LOW (12,000 m3 h-1)Forward speed: 6 Km/h

Sprayer: Nobili OktopusNozzles types and total flow rate: • TVI8002 (active n° 6 → 17.52 L min-1)Fan air volume: LOW (12,000 m3 h-1)Forward speed: 6 Km/h

Drift low-prone:Drift prone:

Sprayer: Dragone k2 500 Nozzles types and total flow rate: • TVI8002 (active n° 6 → 17.52 L min-1)Fan air volume: LOW (11,000 m3 h-1)Forward speed: 6 Km/h

Sprayer: Cima 50 PlusSpray head: • TC.2M2C using hand and cannon spouts

activated (10.8 L min-1)Fan air volume: 7,750 m3 h-1

Forward speed: 6 Km/h

Sprayer: Cima 50 PlusSpray head: • TC.2M2C using only hand spouts activated

(5.4 L min-1)Fan air volume: 7,750 m3 h-1

Forward speed: 6 Km/h

Introduction Materials & methods Results & discussion Conclusions

TRIALS PERFORMED.

Drift low-prone:Drift prone:

Different management of passes between the rows

Single row sprayed at each passageTwo rows sprayed at each passage

Introduction Materials & methods Results & discussion Conclusions

Trial methods compared: TARGET ABSENT.

Sprayer track of conventional sprayer(Dragone k2 500 and Nobili Oktopus)Sprayer track of pneumatic sprayer (single row configuration) Sprayer track of pneumatic sprayer(multiple-row configuration)Weather station

Modified distance for multiple-rowsprayer: 4.3 m from the spray source and

test bench.

Introduction Materials & methods Results & discussion Conclusions

Trial methods compared: TARGET PRESENT.

Sprayer track of conventional sprayer(Dragone k2 500 and Nobili Oktopus)Sprayer track of pneumatic sprayer (single row configuration) Sprayer track of pneumatic sprayer(multiple-row configuration)Weather station

Modified distance for multiple-rowsprayer: 4.3 m from the spray source and

test bench.

Introduction Materials & methods Results & discussion Conclusions

TARGET VINEYARD CANOPY CHARACTERIZATION.

Measurement method: POINT QUADRAT TECHNIQUE –PQT-• Use of a grid with 20X20 cm cells.

• In each cell the number of leavesand grapes touching the stick orgap were recorded.

• Main characteristics of canopy wasrecorded (e.g. growth stage, depth,height, etc.).

Introduction Materials & methods Results & discussion Conclusions

TARGET VINEYARD CANOPY CHARACTERISTICS.

Canopy parameters:• BBCH → 75 (berries pea sized,

bounches hang)• Depth → 0.35 m• Height → 1.2 m• Mean number of leaves → 1.4 n°• Mean gaps → 36 %• LAI → 0.602 m^2/m^2 (adim.)

Espalier-trained experimental vineyard (Cv. Barbera)

Introduction Materials & methods Results & discussion Conclusions

DEPOSITION CURVES.

Spray deposit profiles (µL/cm2) obtained testing the reference and the candidates configurations.

Mean data, based on 5 replicates.

Wind speed lower than 0.7 m/s in the

worst case!

Introduction Materials & methods Results & discussion Conclusions

DRIFT POTENTIAL VALUES (DPVs).

DPVs obtained and bars ± SE of the mean; the dots shown the drift reduction (%) achieved by each candidate configuration respect to the reference configuration (Dragone ATR6H).

Introduction Materials & methods Results & discussion Conclusions

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS.

Configuration Source of variation p (>F)Statistical

significancea

Dragone ATR6H Test bench methodology (target presence or absence) 0.341 NS

Dragone TVI6L Test bench methodology (target presence or absence) 0.218 NS

Nobili ATR6L Test bench methodology (target presence or absence) 0.054 NS

Nobili TVI6L Test bench methodology (target presence or absence) 0.239 NS

Cima MC6S Test bench methodology (target presence or absence) 0.007 **

Cima M6S Test bench methodology (target presence or absence) 0.731 NSa Statistical significance level: NS p > 0.05; * p < 0.05; ** p < 0.01; *** p < 0.001

Significance obtained in a one-way ANOVA, performed separately for each tested configuration, for Drift Potential Values –DPV- as affected by test bench methodology applied (absence and presence of a target).

Introduction Materials & methods Results & discussion Conclusions

DRIFT REDUCTION VALUES –DRV-.

Potential spray drift reduction (%) and classes of reduction achieved by PAE configurations tested according with ISO22369-1 (A ≥ 99 %, B 95 % ≤ 99 %, C 90 % ≤ 95 %, D 75 % ≤ 90 %, E 50 % ≤ 75 % and F 25 % ≤ 50 %.)

SprayerDrift Reduction Potential -DRP-

(%)

Drift class achieved*

Drift Reduction Potential -DRP-

(%)

Drift class achieved*

Reference Dragone k2 500 ATR6H - - - -

Candidate Dragone k2 500 TVI6L 87.1 D 86.5 D

Candidate Nobili Octopus ATR6L 54.0 E 54.4 E

Candidate Nobili Octopus TVI6L 80.6 D 82.7 D

Candidate Cima 50 Plus MC6S 67.4 E 86.3 D

Candidate Cima 50 Plus M6S 96.6 B 96.5 B

Test Config. ID

Absence of target Presence of target

*ISO22369-1:2006

Introduction Materials & methods Results & discussion Conclusions

2.8m

4.3m 20.0m

4.3m 20.0m

Absence of canopy:

Presence of canopy:

The DPV difference could be attributable to the double rows canopies between the sprayerand the test bench.

Further investigations about DPV measurements using multiple-row sprayers are required.

Introduction Materials & methods Results & discussion Conclusions

The comparison of two methods indicated that the absence or presence of a canopy doesn’t affect the DPVs obtained from the various configuration tested; furthermore, calculated Drift Reduction Potential

–DRP- resulted in same final classification regardless of presence or absence of target.

The target absence had negligible effect when test bench is used for COMPARATIVE MEASUREMENTS aimed to determine DRP of a given vineyard sprayer configuration, when used for a single row passage.

The test bench method makes it possible to discriminate between potential drift generated by different vineyard sprayer types and their configurations. In all cases the drift low-prone configurations

determines a DPV reduction when compared to the respective drift prone configurations.

Further investigation are required to adapt the test bench method for the multiple row sprayers.

Since the target has negligible effect at full growth stage (BBCH75), it is plausible that it doesn’t have a significant effect also at earlier growth stages, when the drift risk is more marked.

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Thanks for your attention!!!