SPRAY APPLICATIONS TO TOMATO PLANTS IN GREENHOUSES. PART 1: EFFECT OF WALKING DIRECTION

The present paper reports the results of some spray application trials carried out in two tomato greenhouses to assess foliar deposition, ground losses, and dermal operator exposure when using hand-held highpressure spray lances. Two operating ways (forward vs. backwards operator movement) and two d...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Emanuele Cerruto, Giuseppe Emma, Giuseppe Manetto
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: PAGEPress Publications 2009-09-01
Series:Journal of Agricultural Engineering
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.agroengineering.org/index.php/jae/article/view/82
_version_ 1818313554295521280
author Emanuele Cerruto
Giuseppe Emma
Giuseppe Manetto
author_facet Emanuele Cerruto
Giuseppe Emma
Giuseppe Manetto
author_sort Emanuele Cerruto
collection DOAJ
description The present paper reports the results of some spray application trials carried out in two tomato greenhouses to assess foliar deposition, ground losses, and dermal operator exposure when using hand-held highpressure spray lances. Two operating ways (forward vs. backwards operator movement) and two different plant vegetative stages (pre-production vs. full development) were taken into consideration. An experimental design with one factor (the operator walking direction) was adopted, arranged according to a randomised block design with three replicates. Volume application rates were settled according to the plant development: 900 L/ha in pre-production stage and 1800 L/ha at full development stage. The results showed no statistically significant differences in the mean foliar deposition between the two walking directions in both development stages. The greatest differences among the sampling locations were observed in pre-production stage, when, due to the spraying technique (spray jet directed from top to bottom), the foliar deposits in the low part of the canopy were much lower than those in the middle and high part. Also ground losses were unaffected by walking direction: they ranged on average from 14.3% to 23.5% of the applied volume rate. Finally, the dermal operator exposure was greatly affected by walking direction: at full development stage, it was 8 times higher walking forward than walking backwards. So, this simple change in field practice can noticeably improve the operator safety, without penalising working capacity and quality of deposition.
first_indexed 2024-12-13T08:35:35Z
format Article
id doaj.art-fbae864f132b48ceac9c7baeb8969a02
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1974-7071
2239-6268
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-13T08:35:35Z
publishDate 2009-09-01
publisher PAGEPress Publications
record_format Article
series Journal of Agricultural Engineering
spelling doaj.art-fbae864f132b48ceac9c7baeb8969a022022-12-21T23:53:39ZengPAGEPress PublicationsJournal of Agricultural Engineering1974-70712239-62682009-09-01403414810.4081/jae.2009.3.4173SPRAY APPLICATIONS TO TOMATO PLANTS IN GREENHOUSES. PART 1: EFFECT OF WALKING DIRECTIONEmanuele CerrutoGiuseppe EmmaGiuseppe ManettoThe present paper reports the results of some spray application trials carried out in two tomato greenhouses to assess foliar deposition, ground losses, and dermal operator exposure when using hand-held highpressure spray lances. Two operating ways (forward vs. backwards operator movement) and two different plant vegetative stages (pre-production vs. full development) were taken into consideration. An experimental design with one factor (the operator walking direction) was adopted, arranged according to a randomised block design with three replicates. Volume application rates were settled according to the plant development: 900 L/ha in pre-production stage and 1800 L/ha at full development stage. The results showed no statistically significant differences in the mean foliar deposition between the two walking directions in both development stages. The greatest differences among the sampling locations were observed in pre-production stage, when, due to the spraying technique (spray jet directed from top to bottom), the foliar deposits in the low part of the canopy were much lower than those in the middle and high part. Also ground losses were unaffected by walking direction: they ranged on average from 14.3% to 23.5% of the applied volume rate. Finally, the dermal operator exposure was greatly affected by walking direction: at full development stage, it was 8 times higher walking forward than walking backwards. So, this simple change in field practice can noticeably improve the operator safety, without penalising working capacity and quality of deposition.http://www.agroengineering.org/index.php/jae/article/view/82Pesticide, Spray lance, Foliar deposition, Ground losses, Operator exposure
spellingShingle Emanuele Cerruto
Giuseppe Emma
Giuseppe Manetto
SPRAY APPLICATIONS TO TOMATO PLANTS IN GREENHOUSES. PART 1: EFFECT OF WALKING DIRECTION
Journal of Agricultural Engineering
Pesticide, Spray lance, Foliar deposition, Ground losses, Operator exposure
title SPRAY APPLICATIONS TO TOMATO PLANTS IN GREENHOUSES. PART 1: EFFECT OF WALKING DIRECTION
title_full SPRAY APPLICATIONS TO TOMATO PLANTS IN GREENHOUSES. PART 1: EFFECT OF WALKING DIRECTION
title_fullStr SPRAY APPLICATIONS TO TOMATO PLANTS IN GREENHOUSES. PART 1: EFFECT OF WALKING DIRECTION
title_full_unstemmed SPRAY APPLICATIONS TO TOMATO PLANTS IN GREENHOUSES. PART 1: EFFECT OF WALKING DIRECTION
title_short SPRAY APPLICATIONS TO TOMATO PLANTS IN GREENHOUSES. PART 1: EFFECT OF WALKING DIRECTION
title_sort spray applications to tomato plants in greenhouses part 1 effect of walking direction
topic Pesticide, Spray lance, Foliar deposition, Ground losses, Operator exposure
url http://www.agroengineering.org/index.php/jae/article/view/82
work_keys_str_mv AT emanuelecerruto sprayapplicationstotomatoplantsingreenhousespart1effectofwalkingdirection
AT giuseppeemma sprayapplicationstotomatoplantsingreenhousespart1effectofwalkingdirection
AT giuseppemanetto sprayapplicationstotomatoplantsingreenhousespart1effectofwalkingdirection