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The current work evaluated spray coverage and pest control effectiveness against the grape berry moth (Lobesia botrana) by two different spray technologies and volume rates: A spray gun (high-volume sprayer—HVS) calibrated at 1000 L ha-1 and a conventional orchard sprayer calibrated at 500 L ha-1 (OS500) or 250 L ha-1 (OS250). Experiments were carried out in three different grape varieties over two years in mountain vineyards on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The median coverage for HVS remained above 80% for all three varieties, while that for OS500 ranged from 26% to 56%, and that for OS250 from 18% to 37%. Infestation by the grape berry moth varied from about 2.5% for Palomino, to 8% for Carignan and 3.2% for Xynisteri. Infestation in sprayed plots remained below 1.8% for all treatments, varieties and study years. Although infestation levels in OS250 were not different than the control in two varieties, the infestation levels among sprayer treatments did not differ by more than one percentage point. The current work suggests that lowering application volume and pesticide amount to 50% or more, in some cases, provides adequate control and represents an effective option for reducing pesticide use in vineyards. Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::15 - Vida d'Ecosistemes Terrestres Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::15 - Vida d'Ecosistemes Terrestres::15.6 - Promoure la participació justa i equitativa dels beneficis que es derivin de la utilització de recursos genètics i promoure l’accés adequat a aquests recursos, tal com s’ha acordat internacionalment

Leaf deposit and ground losses generated from spray application in mountain viticulture were evaluated. Four treatments were examined: A spray gun (1000 L ha&minus, 1, High-Volume Sprayer&mdash, HVS), a motorized knapsack sprayer (200 L ha&minus, 1, Low Volume Sprayer&mdash, LVS), and a conventional orchard mist blower calibrated at 500 L ha&minus, 1 (OS500) or 250 L ha&minus, 1 (OS250). The four treatments were assessed using the same tank concentration of tracer in two training systems: a trellis and a goblet. Sprayer treatment, vine side, and vine height significantly affected leaf deposit (p &lt, 0.05). The absolute amount of leaf deposit increased with application volume, but when the amount of deposit was standardized to 1 kg ha&minus, 1, LVS resulted in the highest deposit, followed by HVS, OS250, and OS500. Deposition for the goblet system was ca. half that for the trellised vineyard. Ground losses standardized to 1 kg of tracer ha&minus, 1 were twice as high for HVS than for LVS, and four times as high for HVS than for OS250 and OS500, in both training systems. The current work suggests that low volume applications in vineyards are a viable and more environmentally friendly alternative than high volume treatments.