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Low drift rating of broadcast air-assisted sprayers for UK horticulture: a review to establish LERAP reduced drift status. - PS2019
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Description
Broadcast air assisted sprayers (which force pesticide spray upwards and outwards to the target) are widely used for spraying horticultural crops in the UK; including: tree fruits, soft fruits, nursery stock and vegetables.
• Many pesticides have mandatory buffer zone distances to protect water courses from contamination by spray drift. These buffer zones are very wide for broadcast air-assisted sprayers, many insecticides and fungicides having 18 m buffer zones and some have buffer zones of up to 38 m.
• The LERAP scheme allows growers to make a local risk assessment and to reduce buffer zone distances by:
1. reducing the dose rates,
2. allowing for the effect of living windbreaks which must be in leaf,
3. using spraying equipment that has been officially approved for low drift applications.
• However, use of officially approved spray application equipment (i.e. so-called ‘LERAP-Low Drift’ equipment) is currently not a real option because no manufacturers have applied for approval.
The aim is to prepare applications for approval for drift reducing broadcast air assisted spraying equipment under the existing LERAP scheme based on existing information which will be reviewed and assembled.Three different generic drift reduction approaches will be covered:
1) Coarser, reduced drift nozzles including air induction nozzles
2) Reduced volumetric airflow (e.g. for axial fan sprayers)
3) Different generic machine designs (e.g. axial fan, cross-flow, SPV sprayers etc.)
The work will be done as a desk study between 1 October 2008 and 31 March 2009
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Objective
The aim is to prepare applications for approval for drift reducing broadcast air assisted spraying equipment under the existing LERAP scheme based on existing information which will be reviewed and assembled.
Three different generic drift reduction approaches will be covered:
1) Coarser, reduced drift nozzles including air induction nozzles
2) Reduced volumetric airflow (e.g. for axial fan sprayers)
3) Different generic machine designs (e.g. axial fan, cross-flow, SPV sprayers etc.)
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Project Documents
• Final Report : Low drift rating of broadcast air-assisted sprayers for UK horticulture: a review to establish LERAP reduced drift status
(598k)
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Time-Scale and Cost
From:
2008
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To:
2009
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Cost: £20,901 |
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Contractor / Funded Organisations
East Malling Research |
Keywords
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Fields of Study
Pesticide Safety |