Method of evaluation of spray deposit and coverage on artificial targets

The paper presents the method of quantitative and qualitative evaluation of spray application based on deposit and coverage measurements on artificial targets. This relatively simple and fast method is proposed for small scale comparative field experiments with air-assisted orchard sprayers. Biological efficacy, being very important for the grower, is not enough informative method of evaluation of spraying technique from the cognitive point of view. Therefore fluorescent dye and filter paper as artificial targets was proposed. Water Sensitive Papers (WSP) are the most common artificial targets for spray coverage evaluation. Spray coverage expressed as a percentage of target area covered by spray give additional information what portion of protected area is in direct contact with the chemical. The method is demonstrated for the Joco tunnel sprayer and conventional air-assisted sprayers.