In order to meet the challenges of protecting the environment and people, Vincent de RUDNICKI, a research engineer at IRSTEA / INRAE, has since 2017 been developing a technological innovation based on high-performance spraying confined by air blades. This innovation drastically reduces the drift of phytosanitary products while improving the quality of coverage of treated leaves.

After several tests on the experimental bench and in the vineyard, the Bliss Ecospray company was created in January 2021 alongside the Technofounders start-up studio, with the aim of industrialising and marketing this innovation.

An innovation for winegrowers who care about the environment

The technological innovation patented and used by Bliss Ecospray exploits the COANDA effect, which is well known in the aeronautical sector, to confine the sprayed product inside a high-density, impenetrable layer of air. The air expelled at very high speed (>200 km/h) all around the nozzles forms a ring from which no drop can escape. The droplets are thus trapped between two invisible transverse screens and form a physical barrier, preventing any “loss” of product into the air or onto the ground. This is known as the drift phenomenon.

Thanks to its innovation, Bliss Ecospray achieves near-perfect coverage with good uniformity. This technology also drastically reduces the drift of phytosanitary products. By preventing the transfer of these products outside the treatment zone, winegrowers can save between 20% and 40% on the use of these products.

Bliss Ecospray downspouts have the advantage of being lightweight, space-saving and, above all, compatible with multi-row operation to optimise treatment times. Bliss Ecospray makes it possible to reduce both energy consumption and the use of plant protection products, while optimising leaf coverage and protecting the environment, whatever the type of spraying. The aim is to provide winegrowers with a tool that offers excellent performance while drastically reducing the risks and nuisances for the environment.

Bright prospects for growth on the horizon

Bliss Ecospray is fully in line with the EcoPhyto II plan supported by the Ministries of Agriculture and Ecology, which aims to halve the use of plant protection products by 2025 and ensure better control of the risks associated with these products. At the SITEVI international trade show in 2019, the team promised to make the technology available on the market within a few years. Now it’s here!

Over the next few months, the aim is to develop an initial system that can be industrialised and to organise demonstrations for interested winegrowers, with a view to offering equipment for sale from 2022. As a result, the Bliss Ecospray teams will be carrying out the first trials under real conditions this summer at wineries interested in developing the technology.

« Bliss Ecospray technology enables us to drastically reduce the nuisances associated with the use of plant protection products, and to move towards a gradual reduction in the use of these products. The technology is easy to use and reliable, and our main objective is to make it available to winegrowers from 2022! »

Yves MATTON, co-founder of Bliss Ecospray