In this recent Horticulture Week podcast, ‘the art of spray applications’, ICL technical manager for controls, Sam Rivers, is joined by Syngenta ornamentals technical manager -Sean Loakes.  

With chemical control options drastically  reducing, it is important to optimise the application  of products - whether a chemical insecticide, fungicide, biostimulant or biological.  

Sam explains the sustainable use directive and how the hierarchy of control – cultural, biological, physically acting and finally chemical. Sean outlines the benefits to growers of getting a spray right and how to achieve this; including the effect of pressure on droplet size; why boom height over the crop is important; and the effect of forward speed on an application. 

Using these principles, Sam provides a topical example - applying nematodes to control vine weevil.