Matt Grieshop leads team to advance a fruit tree canopy delivery system

The U.S.D.A.’s Specialty Crop Research Initiative has awarded Michigan State University entomologist and organic pest management expert Matt Grieshop and team $1.47 million to test the effectiveness of a canopy delivery system for fruit trees.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Research Initiative has awarded Michigan State University entomologist and organic pest management expert Matt Grieshop and team $1.47 million to test the effectiveness of a canopy delivery system for fruit trees. MSU’s award was part of the USDA’s rollout of $36.5 million in grants.

This project, led by Grieshop, originated through a SCRI grant in 2012. The team includes scientists from MSU and Washington State University, as well as private consultants from the spray technology and irrigation industries.

“We were looking to generate proof-of-concept data with the first grant, and I’m very pleased with the results,” Grieshop said. “This project is much more targeted than the last one. It’s almost entirely focused on engineering to develop prototypes for growers to implement. We proved the system can work, so now we need to figure out how to make it work in an efficient and cost-effective way.”

Benefits of the new system include decreasing the time it takes to spray compared to current air-blast, tractor-based methods, as well as the ability to apply sprays during critical pest management windows when equipment may not be able to operate in the field due to weather. Positive environmental impacts are less soil compaction and a smaller carbon footprint from machinery, and less wasting of chemicals through a more precise application process.

To read more about the canopy system and Grieshop’s research efforts, see the MSU Today story: MSU to Use $1.47M USDA Grant to Advance a Fruit-Tree Canopy Delivery System.

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