Tree-Row-Volume & Spray by Canopy, Not Ground
Sprays orchards
Enter canopy height, width, row spacing and a rate in mL per m³ of canopy to get TRV per hectare, spray litres per hectare and total tank volume — dosing by canopy, not ground area.
Tree-Row-Volume spray dose
Next: mix 1,275 L/ha (2,550 L for the whole 2 ha block) and calibrate the airblast sprayer to that volume — adjust nozzles and air to wet the canopy without runoff.
TRV scales spray volume to the leaf wall actually present, not to ground area — so a young or pruned orchard uses far less than a mature dense one. Validate with water-sensitive papers.
Tree-Row-Volume — key facts
- Dose by
- canopy size, not ground area
- TRV/ha
- height × width × 10,000 ÷ rows
- Spray rate
- mL per m³ of canopy
- Litres/ha
- TRV/ha × rate ÷ 1000
- Closer rows
- more canopy, more litres
- Avoids
- over/under-dosing trees
- Works for
- orchards & vineyards
- Privacy
- Runs in your browser; nothing uploaded
Match the spray to the canopy, not the field
Orchards aren't flat crops — the spray has to cover a wall of foliage that varies hugely between young and mature trees. A flat per-hectare rate drowns small trees and starves big ones, wasting product and risking poor control or residue. The Tree-Row-Volume method fixes this by sizing the spray to the canopy volume in each hectare, set from canopy height, width and row spacing, at a fixed rate per cubic metre of leaf wall.
This tool gives the TRV per hectare, spray litres per hectare and total tank volume from your canopy measurements and spray rate. Use it to dose orchards and vineyards accurately as trees grow, cut waste and drift, and set the volume your sprayer must deliver. Pair it with the Sprayer Calibration and Spray & Tank Mix tools to turn the target into an accurate application.
Dose by canopy
Scale spray to the actual leaf wall.
Cut waste
Stop over-dosing small or young trees.
Even coverage
Right volume for tall and dense canopies.
Set the tank
Get litres per ha and total tank volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Tree-Row-Volume (TRV) method?+
TRV sprays an orchard according to the size of the canopy rather than the ground area. It treats each row as a wall of foliage and works out the canopy volume per hectare from the canopy height, width and row spacing, then applies a fixed spray rate in millilitres per cubic metre of canopy. This matches the dose to the leaf surface that actually needs covering.
Why spray by canopy size instead of ground area?+
A per-hectare ground rate over-doses small, young trees and under-doses tall, dense canopies, because the same hectare can hold very different amounts of foliage. Spraying by canopy volume scales the dose to the actual leaf wall, giving even coverage, less waste and less drift across trees of different sizes and growth stages.
How is TRV per hectare calculated?+
Tree-Row-Volume per hectare = canopy height × canopy width × (10,000 ÷ row spacing). The row-spacing term converts to the metres of row in one hectare. For example a 3 m tall, 2 m wide canopy on 4 m rows gives 3 × 2 × (10,000 ÷ 4) = 15,000 m³ of canopy per hectare.
How does it become litres of spray per hectare?+
Multiply the TRV per hectare by your spray rate in millilitres per cubic metre of canopy, then convert to litres. At 15,000 m³/ha and, say, 80 mL/m³, that's 15,000 × 80 = 1,200,000 mL ÷ 1000 = 1,200 litres of spray per hectare. The total tank volume is that rate multiplied by the area you're treating.
What spray rate in mL per m³ should I use?+
It depends on the target, product label and canopy density — common values fall in a moderate range per cubic metre of canopy, higher for dense foliage or pests needing thorough coverage and lower for open canopies. Always follow the product label and local recommendations; the calculator lets you enter the rate that suits your crop and target.
What is canopy height and width?+
Canopy height is the vertical depth of foliage from the lowest to the highest leaves on the tree wall, not the trunk-to-tip height. Canopy width is the average thickness of the foliage wall across the row. Measure a representative section of the orchard, since these set the volume of leaf the sprayer must cover.
Does row spacing change the dose?+
Yes — closer rows pack more canopy into each hectare, so TRV per hectare and therefore spray litres per hectare rise as row spacing falls. Wider rows give fewer metres of canopy per hectare and a lower volume. That's exactly why the method uses row spacing rather than assuming a fixed planting density.
Does TRV work for vineyards and hedgerow crops?+
Yes — any crop grown as a row of foliage walls suits the canopy-volume approach, including vineyards, hedgerow orchards and trellised plantings. Measure the canopy height, width and row spacing the same way. Very irregular or freestanding trees are harder to characterise as a uniform wall, so measure a fair average.
How do I calibrate the sprayer to deliver it?+
Once you know the litres per hectare, set the airblast sprayer's nozzles, pressure and forward speed so it outputs that volume over a hectare at your row spacing. Use the Sprayer Calibration tool to dial in the output, then check with a measured run. The TRV figure is the target; calibration delivers it accurately.
Are the figures exact?+
They're solid planning figures. Real coverage depends on canopy density, sprayer air settings, wind, droplet size and how evenly the air carries spray into the tree. Use the TRV result to set the volume and rate, calibrate the machine to match, and verify coverage with water-sensitive papers — it's a guide for accurate dosing, not a guarantee.