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- Title
The Belgian experience with sprayer inspection activities and future challenges.
- Authors
Declercq, Johan; Defays, Guillaume; Huyghebaert, Bruno; Nuyttens, David
- Abstract
In Belgium, the mandatory inspection of field crop, orchard and vineyard sprayers was already started up in 1995. Furthermore, the inspection of greenhouse sprayers and soil-disinfection machines was implemented respectively in 2011 and 2014. So Belgium can look back on more than 22 years of experiences with the inspection of sprayers.At the end of the eightiesthe execution of voluntary inspections was started up to gain thenecessary experience. It soon became clear that a number of though-out choices had to be made at the start of the mandatory inspections. In order to guarantee the impartiality, professionalism and efficiency of the inspections, a centralized organization and implementation by region was chosen. Furthermore, the analytical inspection method (pressure and nozzle flow rate) was chosen because of the mobility of the test equipment that could be used. The benefits of the Belgian system are obvious. There are only ten experienced inspectors and two regional contact points for the inspection of all Belgian sprayers, and the inspections are carried out efficiently and at a fair price. The two regional Belgian inspection services are also accredited according to ISO17020, guaranteeing the highest quality standard of the inspections that are carried out. Despite the advantages of the Belgian system, some problems have arisen over the years. For example, the organization and the planning of the re-inspections require a lot of additional follow-up. Furthermore, there is a need for professional testing equipment that fulfils higher standards compared to that what is currently on the market, because of the intensive daily use. So the Belgian story is therefore an ideal example for other European inspection services.
- Subjects
FIELD crops; SPRAYING equipment; AGRICULTURAL technology; AGRICULTURAL equipment; PROFESSIONALISM
- Publication
Berichte aus dem Julius Kühn-Institut, 2018, Issue 196, p52
- ISSN
1866-590X
- Publication type
Article