Plant protection product dose rate estimation in apple orcahrds using a fuzzy logic system

Berk, Peter (author), Stajnko, Denis (author), Hočevar, Marko (author), Malneršič, Aleš (author), Jejčič, Viktor (author), Belšak, Aleš (author)

In the process of applying a plant protection product mixed with water (spray mixture) at the prescribed concentration with conventional sprayers for chemical protection of tree canopies in an orchard, standard models are used to express the dose rate of the plant protection product. Characteristic properties of the tree canopy in an orchard are not taken into consideration. Such models result in fixed quantities of spray mixture being sprayed through individual nozzles into a tree canopy. In this research work, an autonomous system is presented, which ensures a controlled quantity of spray mixture sprayed through the nozzles onto different tree canopy segments. The autonomous system is based on a fuzzy logic system (FLS) that includes information about the estimated leaf area to ensure more appropriate control of the spray mixture. An integral part of the FLS is a fuzzy logic controller for three electromagnetic valves operating in the pulse width mode and installed on the axial sprayer prototype. The results showed that, with the FLS, it was possible to control the quantity of spray mixture in the specific range depending on the estimated value of the leaf area, with a quantitative spray mixture average saving of 17.92%. For the phenological growth stage BBCH 91, this method represents a powerful tool for reducing the quantity of spray mixture for plant protection in the future.

• Language: English
• Keywords: plant protection product, spraying, leaf area measurement, fuzzy model, tree canopy
• Work type: Journal
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FS - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2019
• Number of pages: Str. 1-23
• Numbering: Vol. 14, no. 4, art. e0214315
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-126367
• UDC: 631.347.3
• ISSN on article: Y506-0087
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214315
• COBISS.SI-ID: 4566828
• Publication date in RUL: 19.04.2021

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: PloS one
• Publisher: Public Library of Science
• ISSN: 1932-6203
• COBISS.SI-ID: 2005896

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 19.04.2021

Secondary language

• Language: English
• Keywords: fitofarmacevtsko sredstvo, škropljenje, merjenje površine listov, mehki model, krošnja dreves