Articles
ENVIRONMENTAL EVALUATION OF SOME SPRAYERS USED IN VINE FARMS THROUGH THE EOS TOOL
Article number
978_24
Pages
219 – 224
Language
English
Abstract
Recent European Directives on sustainable use of pesticides and on machinery represent a reference point for the future development of sprayers technology and require for the implementation of devices and accessories enabling to minimize the risk of environmental contamination related to pesticide application.
Results from the Life-TOPPS project indicated that awareness on how spray equipment can contribute to the mitigation of plant protection products (PPP) losses to water is not developed among stakeholders and operators.
The software EOS (Environmentally Optimized Sprayer) was set up with the aim to provide sprayer manufacturers, advisors and farmers with a tool that enables to assess the characteristics of a specific sprayer model from the environmental point of view.
It consists of a web based interactive questionnaire that allows to examine the significance of risk areas related to equipment (e.g. internal and external contamination, filling, spray losses and remnants management) and to evaluate the different technologies available on the sprayer in terms of capability to reduce these risks.
Results of a first survey made submitting the EOS questionnaire to 20 Italian vine farms indicate that spraying equipment actually in use are not able to comply with all the requirements prescribed for minimizing environmental risks (EOS value equal to 100), as they reached a EOS value generally lower than 50. It is therefore necessary to stimulate sprayer manufacturers, application experts, stakeholders and operators to improve the sprayer design, devices and accessories in order to reach a better level of environmental respect.
Results from the Life-TOPPS project indicated that awareness on how spray equipment can contribute to the mitigation of plant protection products (PPP) losses to water is not developed among stakeholders and operators.
The software EOS (Environmentally Optimized Sprayer) was set up with the aim to provide sprayer manufacturers, advisors and farmers with a tool that enables to assess the characteristics of a specific sprayer model from the environmental point of view.
It consists of a web based interactive questionnaire that allows to examine the significance of risk areas related to equipment (e.g. internal and external contamination, filling, spray losses and remnants management) and to evaluate the different technologies available on the sprayer in terms of capability to reduce these risks.
Results of a first survey made submitting the EOS questionnaire to 20 Italian vine farms indicate that spraying equipment actually in use are not able to comply with all the requirements prescribed for minimizing environmental risks (EOS value equal to 100), as they reached a EOS value generally lower than 50. It is therefore necessary to stimulate sprayer manufacturers, application experts, stakeholders and operators to improve the sprayer design, devices and accessories in order to reach a better level of environmental respect.
Authors
P. Balsari, P. Marucco, G. Oggero
Keywords
environment, sustainability, software, sprayer
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