Spatial Distribution of Spray Deposition from an Air-Carrier Sprayer
ABSTRACT An air-carrier, orchard sprayer was modified by segmenting the nozzle manifolds on each side into three sub-manifolds. Each sub-manifold represented the top, middle or bottom portion of the sprayer outlet. Spray deposition from each sub-manifold was quantified using water sensitive cards placed on vertical poles. Tests were conducted in both the presence and absence of tree foliage. The presence of tree foliage was found to substantially alter the deposition patterns from those found in the non-foliage tests. Overall, greatest spray deposition was achieved by the bottom manifold. At locations greater than 1.5 m outward from the sprayer and below 2 m in height, spray deposition from the top manifold was extremely poor.