Abstract
An orchard variable-rate sprayer applies the appropriate amount of plant protection products only where they are needed based on detection data from advanced sensors, a system that has attracted increasing attention. The latest developments in the detection unit, variable control unit, and signal-processing algorithm of the variable-rate sprayer are discussed. The detection of target position and volume is realized with an ultrasonic sensor, a laser scanning sensor, or other methods. The technology of real-time acquisition of foliage density, plant diseases and pests and their severity, as well as meteorological parameters needs further improvements. Among the three variable-flow-rate control units, pulse width modulation was the most widely used, followed by pressure-based, and variable concentration, which is preliminarily verified in the laboratory. The variable air supply control unit is tested both in the laboratory and in field experiments. The tree-row-volume model, the leaf-wall-area model, and the continuous application mode are widely used algorithms. Advanced research on a variable-rate sprayer is analyzed and future prospects are pointed out. A laser-based variable-rate intelligent sprayer equipped with pulse width modulation solenoid valves to tune spray outputs in real time based on target structures may have the potential to be successfully adopted by growers on a large scale in the foreseeable future. It will be a future research direction to develop an intelligent multi-sensor-fusion variable-rate sprayer based on target crop characteristics, plant diseases and pests and their severity, as well as meteorological conditions while achieving multi-variable control.
Funder
Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Project of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Crop Protection Machinery Team
Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Project of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Jiangsu Province and Education Ministry Co-sponsored Synergistic Innovation Center of Modern Agricultural Equipment Project
Think Tank Youth Talent Program of China
Key Research and Development Project of Shandong Province
Subject
Agronomy and Crop Science
Cited by
7 articles.
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