Development and Validation of a New Deflector System to Improve Pesticide Application in New York and Pennsylvania Grape Production Areas

With falling market prices for grapes, many growers are unable to afford new directed deposition vineyard sprayers. 50% of the juice grape growers in New York and Pennsylvania use Kinkelder sprayers. Kinkleder sprayers are notorious for their high wind speed and air shear nozzles which create a highly visible spray plume resulting in drift and poor deposition. A new air deflector system was designed at Cornell University to provide horizontal airflow. Results in field trials in Vitis labrusca var. Concord, indicates an improvement in deposition throughout the canopy of 25%. Drift was considerably reduced. Further field trails are to be conducted to evaluate the biological effectiveness of the new air deflectors.