Design and Experimental Verification of Targeted and Variable Sprayer for the Potato

Abstract

For potatoes, a crop with a specific plant spacing and a large row spacing, continuous spray has problems including low spraying accuracy and washability. In order to improve the utilisation of this crop, this manuscript designed a targeted and variable sprayer. To ensure that the spray function is achieved, the design and verification of the vehicle body and the targeting device of the sprayer were carried out. To guarantee that the automation and precision of spray are improved, the autonomous marching system based on the Ultra-wideband (UWB) module and the targeted and variable spray system based on the Open machine vision (Open MV) module, were built. The experiments showed that the sprayer could follow a preset route, correct its marching direction in time, and provide feedback on its position. The targeted and variable spray was influential on the surface and back of the leaf (about 66%) and more uniform than the general spray mode. Moreover, the sprayer’s targeted and variable spray mode reduced the amount of liquid applied by 37.9% compared to the continuous spray mode, significantly improving the liquid utilisation rate.