AUTOMATED BOOM SPRAYER PROTOTYPE

Abstract

Pesticide application has contributed to increase the crop yield worldwide. Electronic control units, sensors, actuators, onboard computers, geographic information systems and satellite remote sensing have been employed in modern agricultural machines to safely, quickly, and accurately monitor and control machine operation and record data for real-time or offline analysis. The aim of this study was to develop an automated boom sprayer prototype with section control for pesticide application, thereby obviating the need for manual operator intervention and reducing the risks of contamination. A complete prototype was developed containing three independent application circuits. Spray quality was assessed using water-sensitive paper and a working pressure of 59.46 bar. The following parameters were determined: volumetric median diameter, numeric median diameter, droplet density, coverage percentage, and droplet volume. The flow rate of each nozzle was in accordance with manufacturer specifications. The prototype was robust and effective in quickly alternating between boom sections without manual intervention of the operator.