Optimisation of imaging fluorometer and food safe tracer for crop spray deposit quantification

"Spray application of agrochemicals is essential to agriculture and it is vital that it is performed accurately and safely yet hitherto spray operators have had no means of rapidly quantifying spray deposits and coverage in the field. In Innovate UK project 101820, which ended on 30 Sept 2017, we developed a new prototype technology that enables spray operators, for the first time, to quantify spray deposit coverage and variability on different parts of the target crop. We used the device to evaluate commercial spray applications in a diverse range of crops, commonly identifying deficiencies for correction by sprayer adjustment. A number of successful case studies were generated that demonstrated the potential of the new technology with immediate benefits to growers. However, the project also identified a number of outstanding technical issues that needed to be resolved before commercialization could be considered. The aim of this project will be to resolve these issues and thus de-risk the future development of a commercial product. As part of the project IP will developed and protected and an internationally focussed exploitation plan will be refined, which, based on experience to date, is likely to provide significant sales over the coming years.

Keywords: crops, spray deposits"