Pesticide Application in Greenhouses
(book excerpts)When developing an integrated pest management strategy, it is important to know the target pests, their economic threshold levels, and multiple control strategies that can minimize pesticide inputs in the greenhouse. The objective in applying pesticides in greenhouses is to deliver an effective, uniform dose to a target area in a safe and timely manner. Selecting the correct pesticide for the job is very important to the success of a pest management program, but equally important is the equipment and application technique used to apply the pesticide. The equipment chosen for the application of pesticides must be properly selected to allow the chemical to reach the target at the proper rate and with sufficient coverage. The pesticide label will specify the application rate, spray volume, crop, and application methods or restrictions as to where the product can be used. The application equipment used in the greenhouse may be as simple as a backpack sprayer, an air-assisted low-volume sprayer, or ultra-low volume sprayers such as foggers.
Click on the following topics for more information on pesticide application in greenhouses.
Topics Within This Chapter:
- Sprayer Components
- Tank
- Pump
- Agitation System
- Filtration System
- Pressure Regulators and Control Valves
- Fans
- Nozzles
- Types of Spray Nozzles
- Hydraulic Spray Nozzles
- Cone Nozzles
- Flat Fan Nozzles
- Turbo and Double Turbo Fan Nozzles
- Pneumatic Spray Nozzles
- Air-Induction Nozzles
- Droplet Size Classification
- Volume Mean Diameter
- BCPC and ASABE S572.1 Classifications
- Using Reference Curves to Understand Nozzle Outputs
- Using BCPC Spray Quality Classifications to Select Nozzles
- Droplet Sizes for Different Targets
- Nozzle Selection
- Spray Pressure
- Spray Volume
- Methods of Pesticide Application
- High-Volume Sprayers
- Compressed Air Sprayer
- Backpack Sprayer
- Skid-Mounted Sprayer
- Irrigation Boom Sprayer
- Central Pesticide Application System
- Low-Volume Sprayers
- Air-Assisted Sprayers
- Air-Assisted Electrostatic Sprayers
- Controlled Droplet Applicators
- Ultra-Low Volume Sprayers
- Total Release Aerosol Canisters
- Cold Foggers
- Thermal Foggers
- Mechanical Aerosol Generators
- Pesticide Spray Coverage
- Water Sensitive Cards
- Image Processing Software for Analysis of Droplets
