Abstract
The abstract discusses the development and evaluation of a drone-mounted sprayer for pesticide applications in agriculture. The sprayer includes components like BLDC motors, LiPo batteries, a pesticide tank, pump, and supporting frame, allowing for efficient and precise spraying of crops. The evaluation of the drone-mounted sprayer showed promising field performance, increased spray uniformity with height and pressure adjustments, and highlighted its potential to reduce costs and environmental pollution in pesticide application.
Introduction
The introduction section of the text discusses the use of drone technology in agriculture, specifically for pesticide application to crops. It highlights the benefits of using drone-mounted sprayers, such as increased efficiency, reduced costs, and improved environmental impact compared to traditional methods. The text emphasizes the potential of drones to enhance farming practices and mentions previous studies that have explored the use of drones for agricultural purposes.
Materials and methods
In the context of developing drone-mounted sprayers for pesticide application in agriculture, the "Materials and Methods" section outlines the components and procedures used in designing and testing the sprayer system. This includes considerations such as payload capacity, frame design, fluid tank design, motor selection, battery, propeller, flight controller, and testing locations like the Research Farm of University of Agricultural Sciences. The section details the systematic approach taken to develop, evaluate, and optimize the performance of the drone-mounted sprayer for effective chemical application on crops.
Construction and mechanism
The construction of the drone-mounted sprayer involves a hexacopter design with six arms, each connected to a high-speed BLDC motor. Components like the fluid tank, spray motor, and spray boom are assembled on the airframe, with a pump motor generating pressure for liquid spraying. The electrical power supply system includes two LiPo batteries connected in parallel to power the motors and control the spraying operation via a transmitter.
Evaluation of performance
The performance evaluation of the drone-mounted sprayer under laboratory conditions involves testing various parameters such as discharge rate, operating pressure, spray height, swath width, spray uniformity, and droplet size. These tests assess the efficiency and effectiveness of the sprayer in delivering the spray liquid at different settings to ensure optimal operation and coverage during spraying operations. The evaluation process helps determine the capabilities and limitations of the sprayer for effective use in agricultural or other relevant applications.
Field evaluation of drone
The field evaluation of the drone-mounted sprayer for selected field crops involved testing the performance of the sprayer on paddy and groundnut crops at a research farm. The evaluation included assessing factors such as row spacing, plant height, leaf area index, and crop stage, as well as operational parameters like speed, swath width, discharge rate, and application efficiency. This evaluation aimed to determine the effectiveness and efficiency of the drone-mounted sprayer in applying chemical solutions to the crops based on their specific requirements.
Spraying droplet size and density
In the context of agricultural drone sprayers, the measurement of droplet size and density is crucial for assessing the effectiveness of pesticide application. By using water-soluble dye and microscopic analysis, the droplet sizes are determined to calculate volume median diameter (VMD) and number median diameter (NMD), providing insights into the spray quality and coverage achieved during the spraying process. This evaluation helps optimize the spraying parameters to ensure proper distribution of the spray solution on the target crops for effective pest control and crop protection.
Results and discussions
In the "Results and Discussion" section, the evaluation of a drone-mounted sprayer's performance in terms of discharge rate, droplet size, swath width, and spray uniformity under laboratory and field conditions is presented. The study found that increasing the height of spray and operating pressure led to wider swath width and improved spray uniformity, while the discharge rate increased with higher operating pressure. Additionally, the sprayer exhibited reduced spray liquid loss due to the propeller's backspin airflow during operation.
What all of these things for?
The conclusion drawn from the evaluation of the drone-mounted sprayer in groundnut and paddy crops indicates that the technology is effective in reducing manual labor and improving spraying efficiency. The developed sprayer shows promise for use in areas where human intervention is challenging, such as rice fields and orchards, by enhancing coverage and chemical effectiveness while simplifying and accelerating the spraying process. Further enhancements in payload capacity and endurance are suggested for optimal performance in chemical spraying operations in field crops based on the study's findings.