PM--Power and Machinery Results of Field Tests on a Recycling Air-Assisted Tunnel Sprayer in a Peach Orchard

A prototype of a liquid recycling and air circulation tunnel sprayer was tested in a peach orchard during two different periods, and performance compared with that of an axial fan airblast sprayer. The main technical aspects of the prototype are the high airflow rate produced by four axial fans, the type of air circulation and the possibility of spraying up to 4·5 m high. In comparison with the traditional sprayer, the tunnel reduced the losses to the soil by 50-60%, with a good vertical distribution uniformity and a good degree of penetration. The prototype allows the collection and the recycling of about 20-30% of the liquid sprayed. The aspects to be improved are the ground deposit, concentrated in the middle of the treated row, and the asymmetry of distribution which produces different deposits on the two sides of the canopy.