Method for calculation of pesticide deposition rate using spraying machinery in the orchard

A new method was developed to measure the pesticide deposition rate on fruit trees using canopy characteristics of fruit trees and leaf deposition. This new method has provided a general calculation method for the pesticide deposition rate in orchards with different planting patterns, which could solve the imprecise problem of traditional measuring methods for actual utilization rate of pesticides in orchards. The ground loss rate of an orchard atomizing sprayer in an orchard with sparse cultivation of vigorous stock was calculated. To prove the applicability of this new method, the value of the ground loss rate was compared with the pesticide deposition rate calculated by the method developed in this work. And this method was also verified by calculating the pesticide deposition rate in an orchard with low anvil dense planting and the pesticide deposition rate of the traditional stretcher plunger pump sprayer and the emerging plant protection UAV. The evaluation results of the ground loss rate was basically consistent with that of the pesticide deposition rate proposed by this paper. Those two methods both can be used for the evaluation of the pesticide utilization efficiency of a plant protection equipment. Of note, the method developed in this study is more comprehensive in terms of influencing factors about the pesticide utilization efficiency of a plant protection equipment. The influences of leaf deposition and canopy structure of trees were also considered. Moreover, this method is more suitable for orchards with different planting patterns. The pesticide deposition rate was calculated by using canopy characteristics of fruit trees and leaf deposition, which could reflect the actual utilization efficiencies of pesticides in orchard. Meanwhile, the canopy structure of orchard was quantified into "leaf area index", "canopy shadow area" and other indicators, which could be used to select suitable plant protection equipments for orchards with different planting patterns. Moreover, the outer drift of pesticides could also be calculated by using the measurement of ground loss rate, which could be used to optimize the plant protection equipment and achieve accurate spraying by adjusting spray angle, droplet size, spraying flow and other parameters.