Spray nozzles for fungicide application in grapevines

Abstract

Among the factors that limit grapevine ( Vitis spp.) production, diseases stand out. One of the strategies used in integrated disease management is chemical control, which involves spraying fungicides onto the plants. The aim of this study was to determine the most suitable spray nozzle types for the chemical control of grapevine diseases. The experiment was conducted using a randomized block design with six treatments and four replications. The treatments consisted of a control, in which no fungicide was applied to the grapevines, and fungicide application treatments. The latter utilized hollow cone, double flat fan, extended range, wide angle, and air induction spray nozzles. The experiment was conducted over three growing seasons. The results indicated that the chemical control of fungal diseases in grapevine plants affected 94% of the variables analyzed, resulting in reduced disease incidence and severity. Additionally, fungicide application reduced grape losses and improved the quality of the harvested grape clusters. The soluble solids content (°Brix) was not affected by the treatments. The spray nozzle types used in the 48 analyses conducted over the three growing seasons did not result in significant differences among treatments. The results indicate that spray nozzles producing larger droplet sizes can be used for fungicide application in grapevines, thereby reducing the potential risk of spray drift and environmental contamination.

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