Improving spray application techniques in Flemish greenhouses

Traditionally, Flemish growers of greenhouse crops predominantly use high pressure spray equipment. However, because of scaling up, companies want to automate labour-intensive activities, including crop spraying. Several experiments were performed to evaluate different spray application techniques (spray system and nozzle setting) in strawberries and ivy pot plants grown in greenhouses. In strawberries, using vertical spray booms at a moderate spray volume and with an appropriate nozzle choice led to an important improvement of the deposition rates, compared to the treatments with the spray lance. Trials in ivy pot plants showed that substantial savings on application rate and chemicals are possible when using vertical spray booms instead of the traditional spray gun, achieving higher deposition rates. In general, these experiments revealed that vertical spray boom equipment is a promising technique for applying plant protection products in a safe and efficient way in these crops.