Development and test of a confining and recycling sprayer for viticulture

Abstract

Abstract In the tropical and subtropical viticulture, it is notorious that the occurrence of a favorable microclimate leads to a high incidence of plant pathologies. This affects the productivity and longevity of the vines. In many cases, the incidence of rainfall and high relative humidity, during most of the vine cycle, leads to a large number of interventions for phytosanitary control. The continuous, and not always correct use of pesticides, causes their residues to be deposited in the environment, leading to changes in the ecosystem, accumulation in non-target organisms and the water, with the potential to cause serious problems for man and his habitat. That matter has highlighted the need for more accurate technologies for the spraying of active ingredients in crops. Therefore, the investigation of more appropriate procedures and equipment is justified, for greater protection of the workers and the microenvironment, as well as for higher efficiency in the application of active ingredients. Based on the above, a prototype of a confining and recycling sprayer was developed and tested at the Centro de Engenharia e Automacao (CEA) of the Instituto Agronomico (IAC), in Jundiai (Sao Paulo state), between 2017 and 2019 growing seasons. Spray outlets were arranged in vertical ducts and accommodated in two shield panels. The prototype was arranged as a straddle, floating over-the-row. Part of the liquid sprayed, not adhered to the leaves, was collected at the bottom of the shield panels and pumped back into a reservoir for recirculation. Tests were carried out to evaluate the performance as for uniformity of adaxial leaf coverage in the vineyard, using image analysis. The results showed that the mechanical configuration used made it possible to promote significant recovery of the liquid and a satisfactory percentage of leaf coverage.