Patent ID: 8464465

Claim:
A method for inoculating plants arranged in a row with a biological pathogen, the method comprising the steps of: driving a vehicle along the row; the vehicle transporting a plurality of moveable wound members, a fluid reservoir containing an inoculum comprising the biological pathogen, a fluid conduit in fluid communication with the fluid reservoir, and a nozzle in fluid communication with the fluid conduit; capturing a plant of the row; wounding the plant with the plurality of moveable wound members causing a plurality of wounds; and communicating the biological pathogen from the fluid reservoir to the plurality of wounds, including the steps of providing an air pump in fluid communication with a top portion of the fluid reservoir which produces a positively pressurized volume of air on the inoculum before the inoculum is expelled from the nozzle onto the plurality of moveable wound members, providing a pressure regulator in fluid communication with the positively pressurized volume of air which controls the positively pressurized volume of air on the inoculum provided to the nozzle, and adjusting the pressure regulator such that the positively pressurized volume of air in the fluid reservoir corresponds to a steady drip or spray of inoculum exiting the nozzle such that integrity of the biological pathogen is maintained to infect the plurality of wounds of the plant.