Field testing a solid set canopy delivery system in Michigan apples

The horticultural aspects of tree fruit production have undergone a revolution over the past four decades. Tree density has increased from 25 to as many as 2500 trees per acre and tree stature and canopy volume have shrunk accordingly. Foliar input technologies have not kept up with this change and growers still rely on tractor-driven airblast technologies designed to apply inputs to massive, spherical tree volumes although modern orchards present narrow linear canopies. The SSCD systems being developed by our team promise to revolutionize foliar input application. Systems consisting of fixed microsprayers distributed throughout the orchard canopy have the potential to: increase spray coverage, reduce application time, reduce on-farm use of fossil fuels, and allow growers to make foliar applications when the orchard floor is impassable by tractors.