Analysis of the Efficiency of a Variable Rate Sprayer

Agriculture is facing the pressing demand of reducing the use of pesticides by 50% by 2030, a goal stipulated by the EU’s “Farm to Fork” strategy within the Green Deal. In the specialty crops segment, variable rate application technology has shown great potential. However, some studies that evaluate the accuracy and effectiveness of variable rating application often mask a deficient use of sprayers that theoretically are equipped with the most advanced technologies. In practice, major limitations are due to volume changes between zones and the reaction time of the sprayers’ mechanical components. The presented work measures the efficiency of a Fede hydro-pneumatic sprayer (Berger et al., 2022), with variable rate application according to prescription maps, i.e.: two artificially-created maps are used to test the reactivity of the equipment to high and low rate changes, and a third prescription map is created based on real remotely sensed vegetation mass. It is confirmed that variable rate application efficiency depends on the morphology of the prescription maps, the forward speed and the correct map adaptation to the features and limitations of the equipment. Efficiency increases with: a.) faster mechanical components (e.g. fast electronically regulated valves); b.) more precise global navigation satellite system (GNSS) positioning. The presented work, carried out in vineyards, demonstrate that the variable rate Zone Spray adaptation of Fede’s sprayer in combination with Fede’s agronomic digital management tool (Specialty Crops Platform) reduces the use of pesticides by up to 25%. Apart, variable rate application also lowers the air volume, which in the sequel leads to fuel savings and GHGs emission reduction.
With funding of the European Union's LIFE Programme, the EU's funding instrument for the environment and climate action, under grant agreement Project 101074540 — LIFE21-ENV-ES-Life-AIs.
{"references":["Berger, L. T., Ukhandeeva, E., Andreu, F., Ribeiro, I., Carapinha, P., Ayuso Rodríguez, J.M. 2022. Life Farm, Fresh Fruit - Effects of Operator Training and Sprayer Adjustments on Agronomic Inputs. Aspects of Applied Biology 147, International Advances in Pesticide Application, pp. 19-26."]}