A solid set canopy project has been designed for  fruit orchards in the Northwest. Think of it as though it is a misting system set right at the level of the canopy in a fruit tree orchard. Improving efficacy and reducing pesticide application rates means lower costs for growers - and improved environmental safety for orchard workers as well as consumers. Matt Grieshop is an entomologist working on the project and he described why this new system is so efficient. “The idea really is to bring our input delivery systems up to date with modern orchard plantings. Most of the air blast or prop- tech type or fan type sprayers are really designed around big trees 50 years ago. In modern plantings, especially when we get into the super slender spindle type system where you might have 2000 trees per acre, what we really had is a canopy that are these long strips that are maybe only 3 feet wide so to accurately and efficiently deliver fungicides, insecticides, nutrient products like micro nutrient sprays or sun protectant or frost protectant type applications, you do not need to displace nearly as much air as you used to. The idea is that we should be able to do that with a misting system in place in the row all the time.”

 Matt says that for the project to be successful researchers need to hear from growers about their pest management practices, characteristics of their orchards and other information vital to the successful implementation of solid set canopy delivery systems.