- Free decision-support tool for apple growers to match airblast sprayer output to canopy, achieving about 20 to 35% seasonal spray-volume savings in trials.
- Estimates carrier volume, pesticide dose, nozzle flow rates, tank needs, and work rate; accepts metric or US customary units.
- Decision-support only: does not replace sprayer calibration, operator judgment, or pesticide labels; will not recommend rates outside label or below ~400 L/ha.
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OrchardMAX won the 2016 Canadian Agri-Marketing Association’s “Certificate of Merit” in the Mobile Apps Category.
OrchardMAX is a free decision-support tool that helps apple growers match airblast sprayer output to the size, shape, and density of an orchard canopy.
Rather than applying the same volume and pesticide dose to every block throughout the season, OrchardMAX uses the principles of Crop-Adapted Spraying to estimate settings appropriate for each orchard block. The objective is more consistent spray coverage with less avoidable waste. Ontario and Nova Scotia orchard trials demonstrated seasonal spray-volume savings of approximately 20 to 35%, without significant differences in pest activity and reported or fruit quality.
What OrchardMAX does
Using information supplied by the operator, OrchardMAX can:
- Account for changes in canopy size, shape, and density
- Estimate an appropriate carrier volume and pesticide dose
- Suggest nozzle flow rates and sprayer settings
- Calculate the amount of formulated product required per tank
- Estimate work rate, tank requirements, and potential savings
What OrchardMAX does not do
OrchardMAX is a decision-support tool, not a substitute for calibration, operator judgement, or the pesticide label. It will not:
- Recommend a rate above the pesticide label
- Calibrate the sprayer
- Confirm that adequate spray coverage was achieved
- Account fully for wind, temperature, or relative humidity
- Recommend less than 400 L/ha, approximately 42.5 US gal/ac
- Recommend less than half the labelled pesticide rate
The results are only as reliable as the information entered. Operators must still maintain and calibrate the sprayer, match air settings to the canopy, work in reasonable weather conditions and confirm coverage using water-sensitive paper.
How to use it
For each spray scenario:
- Select or enter the sprayer and orchard block.
- Describe the current canopy size, shape, and density.
- Enter the labelled pesticide rate and planned spray mixture.
- Review the proposed carrier volume, pesticide dose, nozzle rates, and number of tanks.
- Configure and calibrate the sprayer.
- Confirm the resulting coverage in the orchard and adjust where necessary.
Start with a few representative blocks. Compare OrchardMAX recommendations with your current program, evaluate coverage, and make incremental changes as you gain confidence.
History
The original app was an excel-based tool created in 2010 and later developed into an app for iOS and Android systems by AgNition Inc. with funding from Growing Forward 2 in 2016. Compatibility with iOS and Android ended in 2020. We have now rebuilt the same functionality into this online version of the app.
