| Samenvatting | To ensure crop yields and quality, large quantities of pesticides are sprayed worldwide in fruit growing and viticulture. The pesticides used are finely atomized by nozzles and applied to the leaves and foliage of fruit trees and grapevines. However, some of the plant protecting products applied via spraying and misting are carried by the wind to non-agricultural areas or into water bodies, resulting in unwanted environmental contamination. Furthermore, the effectiveness of plant protecting products applied via spraying can be negatively affected by rain or heat, necessitating additional applications. In contrast, plant protecting products injected directly into the xylem of woody plants via stem injection are subject to the influences of wind, rain, and heat only indirectly; solely to the extent that the aforementioned environmental influences slightly delay the transpiration flow; however, these parameters do not have a negative impact on the effectiveness of the application. While the applications of stem injection were previously limited to water-soluble and systemic pesticides, hydrophobic active ingredients are now also successfully transported and targeted within the xylem using nanocarriers. For this reason, and given that trunk injection offers enormous potential for reducing future application rates, the method could even meet the requirements of the European Green Deal in the future. Looking ahead, the trunk injection method could be optimally implemented using swarm technology that is robot-assisted, autonomous, and digitally connected to the respective farm or service provider. Already today, digitalization in fruit and wine growing enables autonomous plantation and vineyard work, centimeter-precise control of machines, and the integration of various processes.
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