Wind speed indicator

Abstract

Pesticide spraying is a widespread technique throughout all regions and crops. Among many factors that must be considered when spraying pesticides, there are the weather factors, such as temperature, air humidity, and wind speed. Anemometers, which are the adequate instruments to measure wind speed, are relatively expensive and fragile, and therefore, they are seldom used in agriculture. This paper proposes a new anemometer, which is an easy and cheap solution, that will aid farmers on deciding the best timing for pesticide application. It is made of a stick supporting two panels, perpendicular one to each other. One of them has a rip. According to wind speed, the ripped panel rises, and thus indicates the speed on the other panel. The assemblage rotates freely on the stick, according to wind direction. It is considered that at least 30% of pesticide applications have problems of drift (off target deposition). Windspeed is a key feature to this process. The Brazilian pesticide market is estimated to be around U$ 2 billion. A 10 % drift reduction means a potential saving of U$ 60 million per year. The windspeed indicator may easily disseminate on the rural area. Due to its low production cost, it may be offered as a promotional gift to farmers.