The first MTDC sprayer prototype (figure 18) was tested at the New Kent and Augusta Forestry Centers in Virginia. The original machine featured a steering wheel guidance system and sprayer hoods with sled runners. Two sets of sprayer hoods were sent out for evaluation—one set with fixed width and one set that could be adjusted in the field to vary the spacing between rows.

Figure 18—The first-generation MTDC sprayer prototype with
fixed-width spray hoods and the original steering wheel.

Feedback from Donald Hixson (at the New Kent center) and Tommy Frazier (at the Augusta center) was that the sled runners were leaving shallow ruts in nursery beds with sandy soils. This did not happen in beds with clay-based soils. The steering also seemed awkward and counterintuitive. The adjustment mechanism for the hoods needed refinements. They shipped the machine back to MTDC and asked for a:

• New steering system
• Height gauge wheel for the individual sprayer hoods
• Positive sprayer width adjustment mechanism for the individual in-the-row sprayer units
• Shade umbrella for the sprayer operator