Improving Resource Efficiency in Plant Protection by Enhancing Spray Penetration in Crop Canopies Using Air-Assisted Spraying

Seweryn Lipiński (), Piotr Markowski, Zdzisław Kaliniewicz and Piotr Szczyglak
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Seweryn Lipiński: Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 11-041 Olsztyn, Poland
Piotr Markowski: Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 11-041 Olsztyn, Poland
Zdzisław Kaliniewicz: Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 11-041 Olsztyn, Poland
Piotr Szczyglak: Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 11-041 Olsztyn, Poland

Resources, 2025, vol. 14, issue 10, 1-17

Abstract: Efficient pesticide application remains a critical resource-management challenge in modern agriculture, where limited spray penetration reduces treatment efficacy, wastes chemical inputs, and increases environmental losses. This study quantified the effect of air-assisted spraying (AAS) on droplet deposition in two contrasting field crops, oilseed rape and wheat. Field trials were conducted using a sprayer equipped with an adjustable airflow module, and spray coverage was measured with water-sensitive papers at multiple canopy heights and orientations. In oilseed rape, AAS improved deposition on front-facing and top surfaces in the lower canopy, for example, increasing top-surface coverage at 90 cm from 53.4% to 65.5% at 6 km∙h −1 , indicating more uniform distribution and enhanced penetration. In wheat, which typically exhibits a more open canopy structure compared to oilseed rape, AAS effects were smaller and less consistent, with the greatest gain on front-facing lower surfaces (from 13.3% to 21.9% at 7 km∙h −1 ). Although drift was not measured in this experiment, previous studies using the same sprayer prototype demonstrated measurable reductions, supporting the environmental relevance of improved deposition. These results highlight the role of canopy architecture in determining AAS performance and underscore the technology’s potential to reduce pesticide inputs, minimize off-target losses, and improve the resource efficiency of crop protection in line with EU Farm to Fork objectives.

Keywords: canopy penetration; air-assisted spraying; spray deposition efficiency; resource-efficient plant protection; food as a resource; pesticide use reduction; sustainable agriculture; water-sensitive paper; wheat canopy; oilseed rape canopy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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