Wind velocity and direction, which are normally reported at certain time intervals, fluctuate substantially within a short time frame. These fluctuations may have a significant effect on spray deposition of air-assisted sprayers used in citrus production. Wind measurements are usually made inside or outside a grove at about 10 m height but the latter may not accurately represent the wind conditions within the grove. The objective of this study was to compare data recorded by the Florida

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... d Weather Network (FAWN) outside the grove at 10.0 m above the ground with the measurements made within a citrus grove at different heights. Within the grove, wind velocity and direction data were collected at 10.0, 3.6, 3.0, 2.4, 1.8, 1.2, and 0.6 m above the ground at 1-s interval. For the same period, FAWN data were available at a minimum of 15-min interval. Results of the 10-m height measurements showed good correlation between wind conditions recorded outside grove and those collected within the grove (r = 0.69 and 0.94 for wind velocity and direction, respectively). However, average wind velocity and direction at both sites were significantly different (p = 0.05). Within the grove, wind velocities of 1.5 m/s or less, recorded at 10 m height, showed almost zero wind velocity at lower heights. Within the grove, maximum wind velocities recorded at 3.6-0.6 m amounted to only 59%-20% of wind velocity recorded at 10 m, respectively. Averaging wind velocity over 15-min interval reduced the wind variability of 1-s interval by 90%. For field characteristics similar to those described in this study, wind conditions recorded at 10 m height outside grove cannot reliably represent wind conditions inside grove, particularly within the canopy height. Citation: Al-Jumaili, A., and M. Salyani. 2014. Variability of wind conditions in citrus groves compared with those recorded outside. Agric Eng Int: CIGR Journal, 16(1): 107-117.