Marco Grella

Purpose: This study aimed to identify stage-specific UASS operational settings for canopy-targeted one-way band spray mode in a vineyard. To this end, the trade-offs between canopy deposition, in-field ground losses, and spray quality were quantified across three growth stages. Methods: Field trials were conducted at three growth stages (early, middle, late) using a canopy-targeted one-way band spray mode at fixed flight height. Five operational settings were tested, corresponding to application rates of 54.2, 72.9, 90.6, 105.8, and 142.2 L ha ^− 1 under the selected nozzle and pressure configurations. A dye tracer was used to quantify deposits on collectors placed in the canopy and on the ground. Spray quality was assessed with water sensitive papers to derive spray coverage and coverage density on the upper and lower leaf sides. Results: Absolute canopy deposition increased with application rate; however, the vertical distribution consistently skewed towards the upper canopy, and this tendency became more pronounced at later growth stages, indicating reduced deposits within the grape band. In-field ground losses increased sharply with application rate (+ 233% from 54.2 to 142.2 L ha ^− 1 ). Spray coverage also increased with application rate, whereas coverage density showed a significant growth stage - application rate interaction, indicating stage-dependent optima. Conclusions: Under the tested configurations, the most promising stage-specific operational settings were ISO 015 at 0.30 MPa (54.2 L ha ^− 1 ), ISO 03 at 0.30 MPa (105.8 L ha ^− 1 ), and ISO 04 at 0.25 MPa (142.2 L ha ^− 1 ) for the early, middle, and late stages, respectively. These outcomes should be interpreted as configuration-specific operational recommendations under the tested nozzle, pressure, and flight height conditions, rather than as universally applicable phenology-adjusted volume prescriptions. Further improvements in spray delivery to the grape band will likely require adjustments in flight height in addition to application rate selection, although this will depend on the trellis system adopted in the vineyard.

A growing interest in aerial drone applications has led to the European regulatory proposal 2022/0196/COD, which considers aerial spraying in steep-slope vineyards safer for human health and the environment. Nevertheless, disease control in perennial crops by aerial applications remains under-investigated. This study aims to identify suitable Plant Protection Products (PPPs) for aerial application in vineyards and analytical methods to quantify PPP deposits. A standardized protocol for controlling grapevine downy mildew was developed, testing Metalaxyl-M and copper-based fungicides’ efficacy and foliar depositions. As Italian law prohibits aerial application, an Unmanned Aerial Spray System (UASS) constrained to the ground simulated aerial spray. Leaves were sampled on predetermined days after treatment application for both fungicides’ efficacy evaluation and deposit quantification. Metalaxyl-M applied from UASS showed an efficacy comparable to ground sprays at pre- and post-flowering (≈70%), while copper efficacy from UASS was lower (≈47–63%) at each stage. Aerial sprayings resulted in higher deposits in the upper canopy, potentially explaining the lower efficacy of copper fungicides, while Metalaxyl-M’s systemicity partially compensated for the uneven vertical distribution, improving disease control. This study established a methodology for aerial PPP testing in vineyards, further studies are needed to confirm these findings across different years and locations.

The increasing globalisation of trade and climate change are accelerating the spread of invasive pest species, posing significant threats to agriculture. The Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica Newman), first recorded in northern Italy in 2014, is a highly destructive pest with severe economic impacts, particularly in viticulture. Effective monitoring is essential for timely intervention, yet conventional field-based surveys are resource-intensive and limited in spatial coverage.This study presents a novel UAV-based monitoring framework integrating near-infrared (NIR) imaging and machine learning algorithms to detect Popillia japonica adults in vineyard environments. Field experiments were conducted in two commercial vineyards in northern Italy during the beetle's summer flight season. A standardised and replicable aerial data acquisition protocol was developed using lightweight multispectral sensors mounted on rotary-wing UAV platforms. Detected insect signatures were processed through a custom CV pipeline and validated through entomological ground truthing via manual counts.Results show a strong correlation between CV-derived detections and manual observations, with Pearson correlation coefficients ranging from 0.89 to 0.96. Although the system tends to overestimate insect counts under certain canopy conditions slightly, its integration into a GIS environment enabled the near real-time generation of prescription maps. These maps were used to guide site-specific drone spraying treatments, applying insecticides only in hotspot areas where infestation thresholds were exceeded.This UAV-enabled, semi-automated monitoring approach significantly reduces survey time and human exposure to agrochemicals, while supporting precision pest management at scale. The methodology offers a promising framework for integrating remote sensing, AI, and entomological validation, with broader applications for managing invasive species in precision agriculture contexts.

This study reports the results of canopy spray coverage in vineyards using an uncrewed aerial spray system (UASS) which was customized for a targeted band application. Two application rates at two vine growth stages were compared. An airblast sprayer was also tested at the same growth stages and used as reference. Results showed that, increasing the UASS application rate, generally resulted in enhanced (+41.7% on average) canopy spray coverages. With respect to the UASS, the airblast sprayer resulted always in higher coverage values (about +70%). Despite this, the UASS achieved higher spray coverages in the uppermost canopy zones. Furthermore, suboptimal spray coverage values for fungal disease protection were obtained for the UASS.

BACKGROUND: Conventional pesticide application equipment (PAE) is used to apply entomopathogenic nematode (EPN)‐based bioinsecticides, but their closed hydraulic systems could raise the temperature of the spray mixture up to 40 °C, potentially harming EPN, since temperatures above 30 °C can immobilize nematodes, reducing their infective capacity. This study aimed to identify the most suitable method to evaluate EPN viability under the effects of PAE technology.RESULTS: Three EPN species—Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, Steinernema feltiae, and Steinernema carpocapsae—were exposed to thermal stress (10, 20, 30, and 40 °C for 270 min) to simulate spray application conditions. Three viability evaluation methods were compared: prodding stimulation, NaCl chemical stimulation, and no stimulation. Viability was measured by two parameters depending on the assessment method: % actively EPN moving (activity), or % total live EPN, both actively moving and immobile (survival). Additionally, a novel parameter estimating non‐lethal stress (Δ_{nl s}) was defined by measuring the live but inactive EPNs. NaCl stimulation was optimized comparing different concentrations and durations and then set at 0.1 g mL⁻¹ for 1 min. Temperature significantly affected EPN viability over time. Temperatures around 20 °C preserved optimal conditions, and above 30 °C negatively affected EPN viability, with mortality close to 80% within 90 min at 40 °C. Prodding (measuring survival) yielded higher viability compared to NaCl and no stimulation, which measured activity. Non‐lethal stress parameter increased accordingly to stress increment showing potential as EPN stress‐marker.CONCLUSION: The study concluded that combined measurement of survival, activity and non‐lethal stress should be considered in EPN viability assessments when designing PAE to ensure high efficacy of biocontrol agents. © 2025 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.