Vertical patternators reduce pesticide use, costs

Growers may access plans for a low-cost vertical patternator, a device that helps assess pesticide sprayer accuracy.

With patternators, growers can adjust the nozzles on sprayers and reduce overspray and drift. More efficient spraying also reduces the amount of pesticide needed.

The vertical patternators are 9-14 feet tall. They work by catching the pesticide spray at various heights along the length of their span. The intercepted spray then runs through tubes and into collection bottles that correspond to the height at which the spray was collected. The amount of spray in each bottle tells the grower exactly where the spray is aimed.

Growers can get diagrams and supply lists for the patternators at no cost at www.nysaes.cornell.edu/ent/faculty/landers/pestapp.

The Cornell patternators are made from everyday items -- window screens, 2 x 4s, nuts and bolts, elbow PVC joints, hoses, hooks and funnels. The cost to build one ranges from $400-$700.

One grower who built his own patternator based on the Cornell designs was able to save $8,000 over the growing season because he used the data to help him spray more efficiently and effectively, according to Andrew Landers, Cornell agricultural engineer. Landers designed the patternators with visiting scientist Emilio Gil, a professor of agriculture engineering at Cataluna Polytechnical University in Barcelona, Spain.

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For more: Andrew Landers, Cornell University, (315) 787-2429; ajl31@cornell.edu.

May 2008