If you own and operate an orchard, orchard sprayers are essential tools to keep fruit and nut trees healthy and free from pests and diseases. The efficiency and profitability of orchard management are impacted by the skills of orchard spray operators, whose job is to assess the condition of the orchard and change the sprayer’s configuration and operating modes to optimize its performance.
Farmers use orchard sprayers to apply liquid substances, such as fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, plant growth regulators, and foliar nutrients to fruit and nut trees. The result is strong, healthy trees with lush leaves and abundant flowers that lead to bountiful, high-quality yields.
How do orchard sprayers work?
There are several types and configurations of orchard sprayers – knapsack, portable, mist dust, and horizontal triple pump (HTP), etc. Some sprayers may have features such as adjustable spouts.
But their basic function is the same – to apply liquid substances in a uniform spray, with high-pressure, all-over soil and plants. Depending on the type, orchard sprayers usually have adjustment features that allow spraying applications to suit a vast array of orchard conditions according to specific needs.
Because of the vertical nature of trees and bushes, air blast sprayers are usually used to deposit liquid substances through mist. Air blast sprayers have adjustments in the air and fluid delivery systems that allow customized applications to meet a wide variety
The efficiency of orchard sprayers
Orchard sprayers provide direct economic benefits to farmers and benefits to the environment through the following:
- The spray application technology minimizes the application rate of pesticide mix while maintaining the required or necessary levels of deposition on plants and trees.
- By reducing the application rate of pesticide mix, each tank load covers a vast land area, therefore effectively reducing the need to refill each tank and the time spent spraying. The result is improved equipment productivity and economic benefits to the farmers by cutting down labor and fuel costs.
Benefits of orchard sprayers
The selection of the right orchard sprayer is essential for efficient, effective, and ecologically friendly application of substances like fertilizers and pesticides. Some of the benefits of orchard sprayers include:
- Savings on chemical costs – Compared to conventional sprayers, orchard sprayers are specifically designed to increase chemical efficiency. There are orchard sprayers that enable selective spraying, allowing for efficient application while saving you on chemicals.
- Even and uniform coverage – The quality of spraying depends on the evenness and uniformity of the distribution of the sprayed liquid substances over the intended surface.
- Savings on labor – Quality orchard sprayers are designed to help the farmers work easily, saving them on effort and labor.
- The best protection for crops – The term “crop protection” refers to the protection of the crops against pests and pathogens, including bacteria and viruses. These significantly cause harm to or even kill crops. Therefore, controlling the situation is better than dealing with the consequences of the problems. Orchard sprayers ensure efficient chemical application, protecting crops against pests and diseases.
Orchard sprayers recommended by Solex
Solex Corporation, one of the leading and most trusted distributors of farming, landscape, and light construction equipment in the Western US, introduces and recommends the top orchard sprayers below. These ensure you can target the tree canopy and hard-to-reach areas.
Enviromist 3049 Orchard Special
The Enviromist 3049 is a cost-effective solution to the treatment of weeds in tree crops.
- Adjustable spray width of 16 feet to 24 feet
- Tree line to tree line - up to 24-foot spray width
- Spray 20 acres in 1.9 hours with a 200-liter tank
- Effective weed control at only 10 liters per acre
- Minimized spray drift
Hardi LB50D
The Hardi LB 50 is a durable and rugged airblast sprayer specially designed for farmers who demand a professional but simple-to-operate machine that requires low-cost maintenance.
- 50-gallon (200-liter), UV-protected polyurethane tank
- Frame with Cat. I or II hitch
- 22” (550 mm) axial fan that can be detached
- Adjustable pitch fan blades
- 321 diaphragm pump, 540 rpm, PTO-driven, 350 PSI (25 bar)
- PTO shaft
- M70/2 controls with on/off lever and right/left section control
- 2 ½” (64 mm) pressure gauge
- Suction filler
- Fan disengagement that allows agitation and calibration
- 10 single nozzle holders with built-in shut-off position
- Color-coded ceramic nozzles
- Hydraulic agitation
Hardi ZEN600
The Hardi ZEN600 sprays all your crops without compromising their quality.
- Tank:
- Capacities: 105-gallon and 155-gallon
- UV-resistant
- Good stability as the overall design ensures a low center of gravity
- A 4-gallon clean water tank (integrated into the main tank)
- Tank contents indicators situated in the front and on the side of the tank
- Powerful agitation system
- Exterior compact design, smooth and rounded tank shape without projections (such as lids and hoses) to avoid damaging trees and fruits
- Warranty – 5 years under normal working conditions
- Optional – powder mixer placed in the main filling strainer
- Zenit air kits
- The Zenit mistblowers present a range of axial and turbine fans that provide a full adaptation to any type of agricultural system.
- The fan and turbines are made of steel and aluminum
- A patented centrifugal clutch incorporated in the fan and turbines ensures minimum wear to the tractor and sprayer when engaging the unit
- An axial fan is designed with synthetic fan wings of a state-of-the-art composition of various materials, creating a durable and powerful wing that is also resistant to impact.
Micron Herbi 4 Sprayer
The Herbi 4 Sprayer is a hand-held spinning disc sprayer used for the Controlled Droplet Application (CDA) of herbicides. It is an efficient and economical method of controlling weeds in a vast range of conditions.
- It can use CDA formulations or traditional water-based products at total spray volumes of only 10 to 30 liters per hectare
- Large spray droplets of around 250 microns reduce the risk of spray drift and fall in a precise 1.2-meter-wide circular spray pattern
- Ability to treat over 3 kilometers (about 0.4 hectares) in one hour
- Light to carry and easy to use
- Robust and simple to maintain
- Battery-powered with no pumping required
- Optional accessories:
- Micron backpacks (available in 5- or 10-liter options)
- Handle/valve conversion for fitting spray bottles
- Shoulder strap
Enviromist 1524 Vineyard Sprayer Row Type
The Enviromist 1524 can treat up to 8-foot widths (11.5 feet when fitted with Undivina 600 CDA extensions). Undivina 1524 CDA offers economical and efficient center-row weed control. It is effective in controlling weeds in orchards, vineyards, and amenity situations like parks, roadsides, and fence lines.
- Shielded CDA spray heads that allow for more efficient use of chemicals
- Minimal spray drift, even on windy days
- Less downtime through filling and calibrating
- Universal fittings for most ATVs and tractors
- Adjustable spray width between 8 and 11.5 feet
- Can be fitted with any Undivina series circular sprayer
Orchard sprayers are used to apply pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, plant growth regulators, and foliar nutrients to fruit and nut trees. They are deemed essential devices that allow farmers to apply these liquid substances and treatments quickly, efficiently, and effectively. This ensures that the entire orchard is adequately protected, leading to healthy trees producing bountiful and high-quality yields.