Atomiser or nebuliser: what are the differences?

Atomisers and nebulisers are agricultural machines used in pesticide, fungicide and disinfectant treatments on both arboreal and herbaceous crops, in particular vineyards, orchards, olive groves, but also nurseries, greenhouses and horticultural crops in general.

They are both sprayers, as they distribute crop protection products in liquid form. And they are essential forfarmers who need machines that spray the chemical and water mixture and allow them to treat their crops and protect them quickly and precisely.

The main difference between atomisers and nebulisers is in the way the liquid solution is sprayed and distributed.

Atomisers

Atomisers are the most common for tree crops and for medium-high volume treatments.

The liquid solution is sprayed by means of the pressure with which it reaches the dispensing point, thenozzle, located on the fan. The range produced is then transported towards the plants thanks to the thrust that comes from the powerful volume of air developed by the fan.

The amount of liquid to be sprayed is dictated by the type of nozzle used, while the distance reached by the same depends on the power of the fan.

The configuration of atomisers makes them ideal for medium and high volume treatments. However, they also allow for targeted treatments if they are equipped with specific air conveyors. An example is turret fans, which allow the sprayed solution to be directed directly towards the vegetation.

Atomisers are suitable for different forms of cultivation and meet a number of needs. Their use ensures a complete and even coverage of the vegetation and optimises treatment times with low costs, guaranteeing the best treatment yield of both orchards and vineyards.

Nebulisers

Nebulisers are designed to micronise the liquid solution into very fine parts and are therefore more suitable for low-volume treatments.

Each nebuliser is equipped with a centrifugal fan connected to a bar equipped with various diffusers. The fan generates a powerful volume of air that reaches the dispensing points at very high speed, where it crosses the liquid solution and micronises it. In this way, it works with lower volumes, saving water and resources, with an even coverage as the very small size of the drops helps to keep them on the foliage.

Not only that, the air flow allows the foliage to move, ensuring a homogeneous and even distribution of the plant protection product even in the most hidden parts of the plants.

This makes nebulisers the ideal solution for targeted and precise treatments, which allow for a rational use of resources, especially water and plant protection products, with economic and environmental benefits.

What plant protection treatments are used for

Treatments with plant protection products are necessary to protect crops from diseases and pests and to preserve the integrity and quality of the crop. 

The effectiveness of the distribution is determined by several factors, such as the capacity of the sprayer which, together with other external factors, allow to obtain excellent results.

Inaccurate or poorly calibrated sprayers are less effective in controlling pathogens. And often this leads to excessive treatments that can cause phytotoxicity or residues above the permitted limits. In addition to the drift and dispersion of crop protection products in the environment responsible for pollution and contamination.

Ideal solutions for crop protection

At Ideal we have been committed since 1947 to the production of machines and equipment for the protection of crops that are increasingly efficient and at the forefront of the latest technical innovations.

We produce pneumatic nebulisers specifically designed to work in an optimised manner and combine very high performance with minimum environmental impact and great savings in resources.

Our nebulisers ensure better and even coverage and reduce the dispersion of the product into the environment. The micronisation of the solution allows greater adherence to vegetation and a better treatment result. Not only that, the possibility of equipping them with bars that can treat up to 3 rowssimultaneously, allows for further optimisation of treatments, both for the proximity of the diffusers to the vegetation, and for the reduction of treatment times.

In addition to this, we produce nebulisers with a recovery system that use anti-drift panels to counteract product dispersion phenomena and recover the part of the sprayed liquid that does not settle on the plant.

We use the same pneumatic spraying system on cannon head nebulisers be used in greenhouses or for tree crops that are difficult to access and have effective and optimised treatments even in critical situations.

Atomisers and nebulisers are essential devices that can cover all the needs of pesticide or pest control treatments in tree and herbaceous crops.

All our machines for the agricultural crop protection are available in mounted and trailed versions, with different tank capacities and can be customised with many accessories, in order to meet farmers’ needs all over the world.

Ideal agricultural machines are the result of continuous research and study. The result is the development of innovative solutions that solve problems and meet farmers’ needs.

With a focus on the optimised use of resources to meet the most efficient and sustainable processing needs and methods and capable of providing increasingly efficient performance.