Modeling the Interaction of Plant Architecture and Spray Techniques

Vegetation type and structure can play an important role in determining the amount of spray that reaches a target as well as the amount of spray moving away from a treated area. In this paper droplet trajectory models and plant architecture models are combined using three-dimensional computer modeling techniques to develop a probabilistic model of turbulence-related spray transport around various plant architectures. The plant architecture model utilises a set of growth rules expressed in the Lindenmayer systems (L-systems) formalism linked to a C++ environmental program to determine the interception of spray droplets by the various vegetative elements. Algorithms have also been introduced to investigate the influence of droplet splash on spray deposition