A PRELIMINARY PROPOSAL FOR CHARACTERIZING LEAVES TO IMPROVE PESTICIDE SPRAYING IN THE OPEN FIELD

Pesticide treatments can be influenced by leaf characteristics such as roughness, water droplet adhesion forces and surface energy. It is thus important to investigate these aspects in order to improve crop treatment and reduce product dispersion. The study aimed to develop a fast, simple and reliable preliminary procedure for characterizing these important leaf aspects in order to improve the effectiveness of pesticide treatments. This paper investigates the leaf characteristics of interest for an innovative approach to using drones for pesticide spraying. Findings were consistent with those from the literature. The paper also presents an experimental circuit designed to investigate spray nozzle jet distribution on the leaves and on the crop in a simulated vineyard. Droplet diameter was also evaluated in order to prevent wind drift and slipping off the leaves, which can be influenced by leaf roughness.