Assessment method of coverage degree for pneumatic sprayers used in orchards

The use of electronic equipment in plant protection treatments in vineyards and orchards is of great importance both economically and environmentally. In this sense, this paper aims to highlight the importance of spraying equipment in vineyards and orchards. The main goal of this paper was to determine and to evaluate the coverage degree for the Gamberini 500 orchard spraying machine. For the purpose of this paper, the machine Gamberini 500 was used in laboratory conditions to determine and evaluate the coverage degree. This spraying machine is a pneumatic one, with a special boom. In order to evaluate the degree of coverage, a special paper was used, which was placed at different heights (1; 2; 3 m). The paper was scanned, transformed in black and with the MathCad software the degree of coverage was evaluated using the READBMP function. The results obtained showed that the degree of coverage differs with respect to the height. The biggest degree of coverage was obtained at lower heights, due to the small distance to the target. This degree of coverage is mostly influenced by the orientation of the boom, the quantity of water sprayed and the droplets size. In order to achieve a higher degree of coverage it is important to use a fan which has a tower blower, because the distance from boom to target surface is relative equal. (C) 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.