Looking after an orchard is not only about the harvest; it is about keeping the trees healthy and free of disease. The right sprayer, used the right way, is the most effective tool for it.

• Match the type to the orchard: a hand sprayer for a few trees, a knapsack for a small orchard, a power sprayer for a large one.
• Choose the nozzle and capacity for the job: fine mist for fungicide, coarser droplets for foliar feed.

• Spray in the morning or evening, when it is cool and still.
• Follow the label dose exactly when mixing pesticide or fertiliser.
• Cover every part of the tree evenly, inside the canopy as well as out.
• Wash the sprayer after every use and store it properly so it lasts.

• Protection from insects and fungus, and fruit of consistent quality.
• Higher yield, through timely nutrition and protection, at lower cost.
• Time and labour saved: a whole orchard covered in a fraction of the time.
• Less chemical waste and a healthier orchard, because the dose is right.

Use different nozzles for different trees; prefer organic pesticides and foliar feeds where you can; check the sprayer's performance several times a year; train the people who use it.

Automated and drone sprayers are coming; the knapsack, used well, is still the orchard's best friend.

Photo: A farmer spraying with a knapsack sprayer — Doyanmoto / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)