Intelligent automated system based on a fuzzy logic system for plant protection product control in orchards

The spraying of plant protection product(PPP)in orchards is a very hazardous working procedure,owing to the spray drift caused by the uneven operation of conventional axial boom sprayers.This research describes an intelligent automated system for precise(PPP)distribution in real-time.It is based on an intelligent decision-making model using ultrasonic measurements of leaf area density under laboratory conditions,which serve to trigger electromagnetic valves(EMV)on the axial boom sprayer.A fuzzy logic algorithm was an integrated part of the intelligent system for controlling the PPP by generating the pulse width modulation signal and applying it through the EMV of the prototype boom sprayer.The results showed that by using an intelligent decision-making model,the same efficiency as with conventional methods could be achieved,but with reduced usage of plant protection products.Thus,the intelligent automated system used 4.8 times less spray mixture than the conventional one.

Reduction of environmental pollution by using RTK-navigation in soil cultivation

The concept of precision farming is wide,and it represents the efficiency which is achieved with the help of precision.For the navigation of field machines,the RTK(Real Time Kinematic)navigation is needed.In order to verify the positive effects in practice,RTK navigation system equipped with Fentd 828 was applied to test the width of overlap,and fuel and time that could be saved compared with manual driving.The experiment was conducted on two areas of land size of 172 m×58 m with two working machines width 3 m and 6 m.Results indicated that 15.7%of the time and 8.66%of the fuel were saved on a working machine of 3 meters width,and 12.6%of the time and 8.28%of the fuel were saved on a working machine of 6 m width.The width of the overlap represent 10%of the working width of the machine,and with the method of turning,which RTK navigation allows,additional time was saved.Ecological footprint,CO2 emissions and global warming potential(GWP)was estimated under different guiding systems.The largest footprint was related to manual tillage with 3 m width working machine,while estimation on CO2(kg)emissions and GWP obtained the same result.The use of precision agriculture technologies allows better planning and analyzing of working procedures.The air,water and soil pollution are less intensive.

Possibilities and concerns of implementing precision agriculture technologies on small farms in Slovenia

Precision agriculture(PA)through the use and utilization of innovative technologies is a concept in agricultural management that enables long-term efficiency gains,control of unforeseen changes,and a reduction of negative impacts on the environment.However,there are even more reasons and benefits to using precision agriculture technologies(PATs)on farms,but the actual use on small farms is often questionable.The main objective of this research was to evaluate and analyze the current state of PA and its potential on a set of small farms.In addition,a comparison was made between small farms located in less favored areas(LFAs)and more favored areas(MFAs)to find if specific characteristics of the surrounding environment affect the(non-)implementation of these technologies by farm owners,with respect to the given regional possibilities.The result shows that 57.5%of respondents on these farms have never implemented PATs before and 20%are beginners in their respective fields.It was found that there were no statistically significant differences in the integration between fewer LFAs and MFAs technologies and their use in this study.The majority of respondents believe that the main changes need to occur on the level of politics.The results show that the level of cost or initial investment is the main reason and the main obstacle in the implementation of PATs on the surveyed farms.