Introduction Investing in an optical sprayer for horticulture is not a straightforward financial decision. Compared with a conventional boom sprayer, the upfront capital cost is substantially higher, often by an order of magnitude, and most commercial systems require an annual software or service subscription to operate. Despite these barriers, adoption is accelerating, and many growers […]
Read More… from Evaluating the return on investment of optical sprayers for horticulture
This case study is taking place on a 15 acre highbush blueberry operation in southern Ontario. In 2016, considerable pressure from spotted-wing drosophila (SWD) prompted the growers to make changes to their crop management practices and their spray program. They employed a three-pronged approach to improving crop protection: We have been tracking pesticide use, water […]
Read More… from Crop-Adapted Spraying in Highbush Blueberry: Nine years of pesticide savings
Celebrating 10 years of “thinking we’re funny”, Exploding Sprayer Myths is back with a new opening sequence! Join cheesy game show host Wink Boomwobbly and his unsuspecting contestant Joe Mama as they discuss the factors that influence spray droplet fate. How do wind, travel speed, boom height and droplet size affect your pesticide application? Knowing […]
Read More… from Exploding Sprayer Myths (ep.15): Where will it land?
I’ve experienced a few spectacular failures trying to build niche sprayers. Until now, I haven’t had a reason to write much about them. But I decided the contrast, and confession, would be a fun way to set the scene for a discussion about an excellent niche sprayer. Failed Attempts First, the ill-fated “Hops Sprayer”. We […]
Read More… from The Micothon M2 – The benefit of air-assist spraying in a vegetable greenhouse
Editor’s Note: This article was posted in June 2025, and as of November 4th all rules have now come into effect. Summary The Government of Canada introduced the first set of Remote Piloted Aerial Systems (RPAS) rules in 2019, which addressed safety concerns and created a flexible and predictable environment for small RPAS flown within […]