Development of an in-containment spray system with liquid recovery and recirculation for agrochemical application in the viticulture

• Grant number: 17/02833-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: June 01, 2017
• End date: May 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Crop Science
• Principal Investigator: Antonio Odair Santos
• Grantee: Antonio Odair Santos
• Host Institution: Instituto Agronômico (IAC). Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios (APTA). Secretaria de Agricultura e Abastecimento (São Paulo - Estado). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Antonio Carlos Loureiro Lino
• Associated scholarship(s): 17/12534-0 - Development of an in-containment spray system with liquid recovery and recirculation for agrochemical application in the viticulture, BP.TT

Abstract

Among the management technologies for vineyards include a large number of phytosanitary treatments for the control of fungal and bacterial diseases as well as insects, also emphasizing the application of growth inducers. Without these treatments, the production can be reduced or even totally compromised. Agrochemicals used in phytosanitary treatments are toxic substances that can pollute air, water and soil, extending their action on microorganisms, leading to quantitative and qualitative changes, both in the structure of the soil population and its physiological activities. At the same time that it reaches the soil the residues can be transferred, without undergoing significant changes, to the water table, animals and finally humans, implying in risks of several diseases. Phytosanitary control of pests and diseases is carried out by specialized machines designed for this purpose, and the treatments are effective when the size of the dispersed droplets is of the order of tens of micrometers, so as to cover as much of the leaf surface as possible. The transport of spray droplets is subject to the phenomenon of drift, which causes a significant amount of toxic substances to reach the soil. One solution to counterbalance the effect of drift and other losses occurring during the application of pesticides is to create a confinement environment by temporarily isolating the target spraying area and promoting the recovery of the excess spray delivered via controlled and directed electrostatic application. Such an engineering strategy can maximize the efficiency in the application of agrochemicals. Considering this principle, the development of a prototype for confining and recovering the applying liquid, for vineyards and similar crops is proposed, aiming to increase the level of control of the spraying of agrochemicals and to mitigate the risks of soil pollution by pesticide residues that are not retained on the surface of the leaves of the target plants and could reach the surrounding microenvironment. (AU)