Proposal of a methodology for the functional inspection of a fixed spray delivery system

A Fixed Spray Delivery System (FSDS) is a new pesticide system derived from a drip irrigation system. Briefly, it consists of a series of emitters (nozzles) - mounted on a pipeline positioned within the plant canopy - and a pumping station, that can be either fixed or mobile. The FSDS can be used for applying pesticide in bush and tree crops and offers several advantages for farmers such as the possibility to spray at the most appropriate conditions (e.g., low wind speed, right temperature/humidity, and immediately after a rain, etc.), the drastic reduction of tractors use and of related manpower. The adoption of this system could be of primary importance in steep slope areas, where it can represent an alternative to conventional spray application techniques, it can mitigate workers’ exposure to pesticides (e.g., when spray application is carried out manually due to inaccessibility of the area with tractors) and avoid safety risks for tractor drivers (e.g., where spray applications are carried out using sprayers connected to tracked tractors and risk of overturning is high). FSDS operates at a pressure and flow rate close to the drip irrigation one, resulting in reduced energy use, compared to conventional Pesticide Application Equipment (PAE), and significantly contributing to carbon footprint mitigation. Due to these positive aspects, the interest in FSDS increased across EU Countries. Since these systems are PAE, they shall comply with the EU Directive on the Sustainable Use of Pesticides (2009/128/EC), article 8, and shall be subjected to a periodical mandatory inspection for their functionality. At present, no specific EN or ISO Standards concerning the requirements and methods for the functional inspection of FSDS are available. Trying to cover this gap, a first draft proposal about the components of this system that deserves to be subjected to functional inspection has been made. Furthermore, the required functional limits for the different components and the methods to carry out their inspection were investigated and proposed. The present document is intended to provide a first draft set of technical indications about the steps to be followed for carrying out a functional inspection of FSDS. When possible, the harmonized standard EN ISO 16122 for general (part 1) and specific (part 4) components were followed.