A three-year trial of a stationary pesticide application system that uses irrigation lines to deliver pesticides shows promising results. Thus far, insect and disease incidence has been similar in trees treated with the stationary system and trees sprayed with a conventional ­airblast sprayer. The stationary system, set up in an acre block of Gala apple trees trained to a super spindle system at Fowler Farms in Wolcott, New York, uses ¾-inch irrigation lines and micro irrigation nozzles positioned over the top and middle of the trees to deliver the pesticides. The fixed-spray system was patterned after research conducted at the […]