First attempts to obtain a reference drift curve for traditional olive grove's plantations following ISO 22866

Abstract

The current standard for the field measurements of spray drift (ISO 22866) is the only official standard for drift measurements in field conditions for all type of crops, including bushes and trees. A series of field trials following all the requirements established in the standard were arranged in a traditional olive grove in Córdoba (south of Spain). The aims of the study were to evaluate the applicability of the current standard procedure to the particular conditions of traditional olive trees plantations, to evaluate the critical requirements for performing the tests and to obtain a specific drift curve for such as important and specific crop as olive trees in traditional plantations, considering the enormous area covered by this type of crop all around the world. Results showed that the field trials incur a very complex process due to the particular conditions of the crop and the very precise environmental requirements. Furthermore, the trials offered a very low level of repeatability as the drift values varied significantly from one spray application to the next, with the obtained results being closely related to the wind speed, even when considering the standard minimum value of 1 m·s^-1. The collector's placement with respect to the position of the isolated trees was determined as being critical since this substantially modifies the ground deposit in the first 5 m. Even though, a new drift curve for olive trees in traditional plantation has been defined, giving an interesting tool for regulatory aspects. Conclusions indicated that a deep review of the official standard is needed to allow its application to the most relevant orchard/fruit crops.

Keywords: Airborne deposition; Deposition; ISO; Olive tree; Spray drift; Wind speed.