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Electronic dosing system designed for vineyard pesticides
The new system allows for sustainable use of phytosanitary products, which brings economic benefits for agricultural operations, lessens the environmental impact and ensures food safety.
31/05/2010
A group from the Agricultural Machinery Unit at the School of Agricultural Engineering of Barcelona of the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)-Barcelona Tech, led by researcher Emilio Gil, has designed an intelligent system that allows for a reduced amount of phytosanitary products to be used in vineyards. The system is designed to automatically characterize the plants and adjust the amount of product to be dispensed, which translates into a savings of over 45% on the phytosanitary products used.
Pesticide dosage has traditionally been determined based on the size of the land. With this new system, however, the doses get distributed correctly according to the structural characteristics of the vegetation. As a result, farmers are able to reduce the amount of phytosanitary products and thereby cut down on environmental pollution. The system also brings economic benefits for agricultural operations and increased efficiency in terms of administering pesticides, thus ensuring the production of quality foodstuffs as it lowers the risk of residue being left on the final product. In fact, reducing risks in the use of phytosanitary products is one of the objectives established by the new European Directive for achieving sustainable use of pesticides.
The system has been successfully field tested in the vineyards of Castell del Remei in Penelles (Lleida), Ermita d’Espiells (Penedès) and Torre Marimon (Caldes de Montbui).
Sensor technologyThe newly developed equipment consists of a conventional hydropneumatic sprayer outfitted with a set of ultrasonic sensors, laser sensors based on the innovative technology known as LIDAR (Light Detect and Ranging), proportional solenoid valves, flowmeters and pressure sensors. These components are controlled by a software application that is specifically designed for the variable administration of products in the vineyard, according to the density of vegetation (m3) per surface unit (ha). Taking constant readings of the thickness of plants generated by the ultrasonic sensor, the computer program allows users to calculate the flow rate of each spray nozzle. Each solenoid valve receives an electric signal that controls the flow of every discharge from the sprayer.
An integrated system in the unit’s control panel handles data collection and management, and controls the different components. The system is connected via Ethernet to an industrial computer installed on the unit for managing, configuring and storing data.
The system controls the operation of the ensemble by means of a portable computer installed in the tractor’s cabin. Additionally, while the dosing process is underway, the system can create digital maps of plants, which are essential for making volume predictions about the product and the expected yields, as well as the risk of pests and diseases. It also allows the user to program operations such as pruning or harvesting. The maps are generated from information obtained by a LIDAR sensor, which performs a full scan of the plants and combines that information with the data from the GPS receiver installed on the tractor.
The Agricultural Machinery Unit at the Department of Agri-Food Engineering and Biotechnology at the UPC has been working for some time on improving the use of phytosanitary products in vineyards. The new system is part of Optidosa, a multifaceted project financed by the Ministry of Science and Innovation, whose participants include the UPC-Barcelona Tech team as well as the Technical University of Valencia, the Valencia Agricultural Research Institute, the University of Lleida and the Agricultural Machinery Center (CMA) of the Catalan government (Generalitat de Catalunya).
The project’s main objective is to improve the techniques for administering phytosanitary products on crops such as fruit trees, vines and citrus fruits. The application of new technologies brings greater quality to the utilization of phytosanitary products by enabling farmers to reduce the amount of product being used and dispense it according to the specific characteristics of the plant, thereby protecting areas that are vulnerable or more susceptible to pollution (surface water, urban areas, etc.).
Pesticide dosage has traditionally been determined based on the size of the land. With this new system, however, the doses get distributed correctly according to the structural characteristics of the vegetation. As a result, farmers are able to reduce the amount of phytosanitary products and thereby cut down on environmental pollution. The system also brings economic benefits for agricultural operations and increased efficiency in terms of administering pesticides, thus ensuring the production of quality foodstuffs as it lowers the risk of residue being left on the final product. In fact, reducing risks in the use of phytosanitary products is one of the objectives established by the new European Directive for achieving sustainable use of pesticides.
The system has been successfully field tested in the vineyards of Castell del Remei in Penelles (Lleida), Ermita d’Espiells (Penedès) and Torre Marimon (Caldes de Montbui).
Sensor technology
An integrated system in the unit’s control panel handles data collection and management, and controls the different components. The system is connected via Ethernet to an industrial computer installed on the unit for managing, configuring and storing data.
The system controls the operation of the ensemble by means of a portable computer installed in the tractor’s cabin. Additionally, while the dosing process is underway, the system can create digital maps of plants, which are essential for making volume predictions about the product and the expected yields, as well as the risk of pests and diseases. It also allows the user to program operations such as pruning or harvesting. The maps are generated from information obtained by a LIDAR sensor, which performs a full scan of the plants and combines that information with the data from the GPS receiver installed on the tractor.
The Agricultural Machinery Unit at the Department of Agri-Food Engineering and Biotechnology at the UPC has been working for some time on improving the use of phytosanitary products in vineyards. The new system is part of Optidosa, a multifaceted project financed by the Ministry of Science and Innovation, whose participants include the UPC-Barcelona Tech team as well as the Technical University of Valencia, the Valencia Agricultural Research Institute, the University of Lleida and the Agricultural Machinery Center (CMA) of the Catalan government (Generalitat de Catalunya).
The project’s main objective is to improve the techniques for administering phytosanitary products on crops such as fruit trees, vines and citrus fruits. The application of new technologies brings greater quality to the utilization of phytosanitary products by enabling farmers to reduce the amount of product being used and dispense it according to the specific characteristics of the plant, thereby protecting areas that are vulnerable or more susceptible to pollution (surface water, urban areas, etc.).
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