Putting the Spray onto the Target: The Development and Demonstration of a Vineyard Patternator for Growers to Reduce their Spray Bills by 30 Percent
Many airblast sprayers send a plume of spray over the trees, resulting in off-target drift, inadequate deposition and poor insect/disease control. Results from tests over the past three years with an Italian vertical patternator, the MIBO, shows growers that they can adjust their sprayers to target the canopy. In the Spring of 2006 we designed, developed and constructed two inexpensive patternators of different designs, and in the summer of 2006 we evaluated them against the “standard” MIBO patternator. We demonstrated the two designs at fruit grower meetings in the Hudson Valley , the Finger Lakes, Lake Erie region and on Long Island and subsequently improved the design. The plans are available for growers and a number have already been built.