Abstract:

India is the land of villages. This being said the major occupation of people in India is
agriculture. The project deals with development of solar agricultural sprayer. The
problems faced by Indian farmers today are solved by developing a solar powered
agriculture sprayer machine. This machine is platform mounted with pesticide tank on
the platform. The machine is operated electrically using solar energy from the PV panel
mounted on the machine.

Keywords: Platform, Farmers, Solar, Sprayer etc

INTRODUCTION
India is the land of villages. This being said the major occupation of majority of villages
in India is agriculture. Near about 70% people are dependent upon agriculture.
Agriculture has been the backbone of the Indian economy and it will continue to remain
so for a long time. It has to support almost 17 per cent of world population from 2.3 per
cent of world geographical area and 4.2 per cent of worlds water resources. The
economic reforms, initiated in the country during the early 1990s, have put the economy
on a higher growth trajectory. Annual growth rate in GDP has accelerated from below 6
percent during the initial years of reforms to more than 8 percent in recent years. This
happened mainly due to rapid growth in non-agriculture sector. The workforce engaged in
agriculture between 1980-81 and 2006-07 witnessed a very small decline; from 60.5
percent to 52 percent.
Indian agriculture is characterized by agro-ecological diversities in soil, rainfall,
temperature, and cropping system. Besides favorable solar energy, the country receives
about 3 trillion m3 of rainwater, 14 major, 44 medium and 55 minor rivers share about 83
per cent of the drainage basin. About 210 billion m3 water is estimated to be available as
ground water. Irrigation water is becoming a scarce commodity. Thus proper harvesting
and efficient utilization of water is of great importance.
The nation is striving to find ways and means to keep its burgeoning population
adequately fed. On the one hand it is facing the problem of declining productivity and on
the other, challenges posed by liberalization. In such a scenario, leveraging the available
natural resources and existing infrastructure is the only way to make the ends meet.
Management of the already built infrastructure in harmony with natural systems is the
clarion call of the day. Knowledge of the extent of existing infrastructure and natural
resources is one of the most basic pre-requisites to utilize them effectively and in a
sustainable manner. The discipline of agricultural engineering endeavors to develop
technologies for enhancing productivity and

Figure 1 District Wise Average Rainfall in India

As compared to other fields globalization in agriculture system is less. But, with recent
advancements in engineering and technology, there also have been changes in agricultural
technology and practices.

Though there are advancements people still follow old

practices due to the lack of money and high cost of technically advanced agricultural
equipments.
Figure supplied by national income committee and central statistical show clearly that
agricultural contributed 57% of the national income means agriculture field takes lions
shares in national income. Comparison can made between the positions of agricultural in
India with that in other country as regards shares of agriculture in India with that in other
country as regards shares of agriculture in national income. The more developed a
country the smaller is share of agriculture in national input. India, having not yet reached
the stage of advanced economy, has an agricultural sector which is skill the dominant one
in the country.

According to a study made by ISAE, it is found that hoes, pangas, axes and shovels are
the main farm tools used by the farmers in India for agricultural operation. These tools
are conventional, time immemorial and no improvement in agricultural practice is
adopted. Hence, it is necessary to develop a system which results in drudgery reduction
and is user friendly to agricultural community in India.
The productivity of farms depends greatly on the availability and judicious use of farm
power by the farmers. Agricultural implements and machines enable the farmers to
employ the power judiciously for production purposes. Agricultural machines increase
productivity of land and labour by meeting timeliness of farm operations and increase
work out-put per unit time. Besides its paramount contribution to the multiple cropping
and diversification of agriculture, mechanization also enables efficient utilisation of
inputs such as seeds, fertilisers and irrigation water.

Farm Mechanization

Farm Mechanization in Indian agriculture started with the establishment of the Central
Tractor Organisation (CTO) mainly for land reclamation and development, mechanical
cultivation and reduction of sanccharum spontanium.

Figure 2 Tractor working in a farm

Farm mechanization saves time and labour, cuts down crop production costs in the long
run, reduces post-harvest losses and boosts crop output and farm income. Steady growth
is observed in manually operated tools, animal operated implements, and equipment
operated by mechanical and electrical power sources in India. In manually operated
equipment, the number of sprayers has almost doubled. After liberalization and with
development of prototypes of machines, manufacturing got a big boost particularly in
Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh states of India.
The Indian agricultural equipment market is experiencing a rapid growth with expected
strong potential for future growth as well. The demand for agricultural machinery in
Asia-Pacific region was more than twice than in any other region. In Asia-Pacific, India
has remained one of the primary nations which fuelled the growth of the agricultural
equipment market. The tractors, power tillers, combine harvesters, rotavators, threshers
and rice transplanters are some of the equipment for which a surge in demand has been
witnessed over the past few years.
Mechanization is viewed as package of technology to

(i)

Ensure timely field operations to increase productivity, reduce crop losses and
improve quality of agroproduce.

(ii)

Increase land utilization and input use efficiency

(iii)

Increase labour productivity using labour saving and drudgery reducing

devices besides, being cost effective and eco-friendly.

Appropriate machinery have been adapted by farmers for ensuring timely field operations
and effective application of various crop production inputs utilizing human, animal and
mechanical power sources. Diverse farm mechanization scenario prevails in the country
due to size of farm holdings and socio-economic disparities. Indian agriculture continues
to be dependent upon human. Hand tools and animal drawn implements are extensively
used which involve a great amount of drudgery.
Over the last few years, there has been considerable progress in agriculture
mechanization. It is generally believed that the benefits of modern technology have been
restricted to farmers with large land-holdings. Yet the fact remains that even small
farmers are adopting and utilising selected farm equipments for efficient farm
management through custom hiring. Mechanical equipments for various farm operations
like tillage, sowing, irrigation, plant protection and threshing etc are generally being used
by the farming community.

Status of Farm Mechanization in India

Even though farm mechanization shows an increasing trend, there are wide ranging
disparities in the levels of mechanization across some states.
Northern States such as Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh (particularly Western and
Tarai belt) have achieved a faster growth in mechanization over various Plans

 The sale of other implements and machines like combine harvesters, threshers and
other power-operated equipment have been increasing almost throughout the
country
The pace of mechanization in North-Eastern States has not been satisfactory due
to constraints such as hilly topography, socio-economic conditions, high cost of
transport, lack of institutional financing and lack of farm machinery
manufacturing industries.
Mechanization in Western and Southern states of the country viz., Gujarat,
Maharashtra, Rajasthan and certain areas of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh etc., has
increased with the increase in area under irrigation and also with the growing
awareness among farmer
A number of machines and equipment suitable for different farm operations suited to
different agro-climatic regions and categories of farm have been developed and tested.
Most of these machines are available commercially and have been well adopted.

The spraying operation:

The crops need to be sprayed with pesticides and insecticides to keep them safe and
better output . Before spraying following operations need to be performed.

Before spraying:

Identify

the

ascertain the damage done

pest

and

Use pesticide only if it has exceeded the Economical Injury Level.

Use only the recommended pesticide which is the least toxic.

Read instructions manual of the pesticide and equipment.

Check the spraying equipment and accessories which are to be used.

Ascertain that all components are clean, especially filling and suction
strainer, sprayer tank, cut off device and nozzle.

Replace worn out parts such as 'O' ring, seal, gasket, worn out nozzle
tip, hose clamps and valves.

Test the sprayer and ascertain whether it pumps the required output at
rated pressure. Check the nozzle spray pattern and discharge rate.

Calibrate the sprayer. Set spraying speed and nozzle swath by

adjusting spray height and nozzle spacing.

Make sure that appropriate protective clothing is available and is

used.

Train all concerned with the application and also understand the
recommendations. Ensure that soap, towel and plenty of water is
available

During spraying

Take only sufficient pesticide for the day's application from the store
to the site.

DO NOT transfer pesticides from original container and packing into

the containers.

Recheck the use instructions of pesticide and equipment.

Make sure pesticides are mixed in the correct quantities

Wear appropriate clothing.

Avoid contamination of the skin especially eyes and mouth.

Liquid formulation should be poured carefully to avoid splashing.

Do not spray in high wind, high temperature and rain.

Avoid drift by selecting proper direction of spraying and also holding

nozzle and boom at a proper height.

Start spraying near the down wind edge of the field and proceed
upwind so that operator moves into unsprayed area.

Never eat, drink or smoke when mixing or applying pesticides.

NEVER blow out clogged nozzles or hoses with your mouth.

Follow correct spray technique. Spray plant crop thoroughly by

operating sprayer at correct speed and correct pressure.

Never allow children or other unauthorized persons to be nearby

during mixing. NEVER leave pesticides unattended in the field.
Never spray if the wind is blowing towards grazing livestock or
pastures regularly used.

After spraying

Remaining pesticides left in the tank after spraying should be

emptied and disposed off in pits dug on wasteland.

Never empty the tank into irrigation canals or ponds.

Never leave unused pesticides in sprayers. Always clean equipment

properly. After use, oil it and then keep away in store room.

Do not use empty pesticide containers for any purpose.

Crush and bury the containers preferably in a land filled dump.

Clean buckets, sticks, measuring jars, etc. used in preparing the spray
solution.

Remove and wash protective clothing and footwear. Wash yourself

well and put on clean clothing.

Keep an accurate record of pesticide usuage.

Prevent persons from entering treated areas until it is safe to do so.

Mark the sprayed plots with a flag.

In this project we will be fabricating solar powered spraying machine which can be used
by Farmers to spray pesticides on their crops.

LITERATURE REVIEW:
Before the start of project it was necessary to study the current systems available in
market for farmers and study the limitations of the system. A deep study was made on
different sprayers available in the market and accordingly the project objective was laid
out.
The different types of spray equipments available in market are as described below.
Based up on the volume of liquid handled ,sprayers may be classified in to
1. High volume sprayer (more than 400 litres /ha)
2. Low volume sprayer (5 to 400 litres/ hectare)
3. Ultra low volume sprayer (ULV) spray (less than 5 litres /ha).
The selection technique depends up on type of vegetation, kind of pests and
approach to the field.

ULTRA LOW VOLUME SPRAYER

ULV Sprayer is used to spray chemicals on row crops like cotton, cowpea,
groundnuts , tobacco and vegetables. It is ideally suited for home gardens. It is a handheld sprayer with a spinning / rotating disc designed for ultra-low volume (ULV) and
controlled droplet application of insecticides, fungicides, pesticides, herbicides and all
liquids. Rotating disc technology ensures efficient liquid atomization to give appropriate
droplet size. ULV formulations are applied at only 2.5-7.5 litres / ha. One hectare of crop
can be treated in around 2.5 hour
HAND

ATOMIZER

This sprayer is also ideally suited for home gardens and small fields. It consists of a
container of 0.5 to 3.51it capacity a built in air pump, pressure gauge , nozzle and flow
cut off lever. The tank is to be filled with th volume. The pump is operated to build
pressure in the tank of 0.15-0.3 kg/cm2 . When the flow cut off lever is pressed , the
fluid passes through the nozzle and spraying is done. The application rate ranges from 45
to 100 litres /ha.
HAND

COMPRESSION

SPRAYER

It is suitable for applying chemicals for field crops and lawns. Similar to hand atomizer
this sprayer also consists of a tank of 10-12 lit capacity for holding spray material , a
vertical air pump , pressure gauge, filling port, spray lance , nozzle and a flow control
lever. The chemical tank is filled 75-80 % volume .The pump is operated to pump air in
to the tank to build pressure up to 2.0 3.5 kg/cm2. When the flow cut off lever is
pressed, the fluid passes through the nozzle and spraying is done. The sprayer is carried
on the shoulder of the operator. The application rate ranges from 45 to 100 litres /ha.
KNAPSACK SPRAYER (HAND OPERATED)
This sprayer is suitable for applying chemicals to several field crops. The operator carries
the sprayer on his back and hence the name knapsack sprayer. It has a flat or bean-shaped
tank of 10-15 litres capacity., a hydraulic pump fitted inside the tank, a handle to operate

the pump, agitator, filter, delivery hose, and spray gun with nozzle and flow control lever.
The tank is made of either brass or PVC material. The tank is filled with chemical
solution. When the pump is operated, it draws the fluid through the suction hole and
delivers it to the spray gun, When the cut off lever is pressed spraying is done through the
nozzle as fine droplets. The pressure developed in these sprayers depends on the pump
and varies from 3 to 12 kg/cm2 The application rate is 500 lit/ha. The coverage is 0.5-1.0
ha/day.
Salient
1.
2.

features
Useful

Light

in

to
weight

3.

High

4.

Robust

5.

Both

of

develop
and

easy

knapsack

high
to

carry

work

on

rate

and
left

pressure
the

with
back

6.10-15

of

and
right

less

effort.

the

operator..

economical.

simple
and

sprayers.

to

maintain.

hand

operation

lit.

capacity

7. Easy to spray chemicals.

ROCKER

SPRAYER

Rocker sprayer is mainly used for spraying fruit trees in orchards, coconut and
areca nut trees, flower gardens, and cotton and tapioca fields. It consists of a piston type
pump, a platform with fork, a lever to operate the pump, pressure chamber, suction hose
with strainer, delivery hose, and a spray gun with flow control knob and nozzle. The
pump builds up a pressure up to 14-18 kg/cm2 which facilitates the use of the sprayer for
tree spraying. The Pressure chamber helps for continuous spraying. The chemical is taken
in a separate container and the suction hose is kept in the chemical container. When the
pump is operated, it draws the fluid through the suction hose and delivers it to the
delivery hose through the pressure chamber. When the flow control knob is turned, the
fluid is sprayed through the nozzle. The output of the sprayer is 70-90 lit/hr with one
nozzle. Coverage is about 1.5 ha/day.
FOOT

OR

PEDAL

OPERATED

SPRAYER

The foot or pedal sprayers, as they are commonly called, consist of a plunger assembly,

stand, suction hose, delivery hose, spray gun with a nozzle etc. One end of the suction
hose is fitted with a strainer and the other end is connected to the pump inlet opening.
Similarly, the delivery hose is fitted at one end to the delivery opening of the pump and
the other end to the spray gun. Constant pedaling is required for continuous spray. It
develops a pressure of 17-21 kg/cm2. The chemical is taken in a separate container and
the suction hose is kept in the chemical container. When the pump is operated by the foot,
it draws the fluid through the suction hose and delivers it to the delivery hose. When the
flow control lever is pressed, the fluid is sprayed through the nozzle. Agitation of
chemical solution is done by supplying a portion of air from the blower, The discharge
rate

with

KNAPSACK

one

nozzle

is

MOTORIZED

110-135
MIST

l/hr

and

coverage

BLOWER

is

CUM

1.0

ha/day

DUSTER

It is the simplest engine driven sprayer used in agriculture. It is carried on the back of the
operator. It is used for spraying to all types of field crops most popularly to paddy,
groundnut, cotton and vegetable crops. It consists of a 1.2- 3.0 hp high speed petrol
engine, a blower, a 12 lit chemical tank, delivery hose, fleeted air hose, flow regulator
knob and a plastic atomizer grate. The tank is filled with the required chemical solution.
When the engine is started, the blower generates a high velocity air to which the chemical
solution is fed. The chemical mixed air stream is broken in to fine droplets at the atomizer
grate and sprayed. . By changing few parts the sprayer can be converted in to a duster.
POWER

SPRAYER

It is a heavy duty and efficient sprayer. It consists of a triplex pump with stainless steel
piston with oil bath lubrication. It can Develops 250 to 350 pounds pressure and can
deliver the solution up to 15 m.. It can be powered by a 3 HP engine or electric motor .It
is convenient to spray with 4 to 6 spray lances at a time using the sprayer. There are
sprayers can be operated by tractor PTO as well as by a power tiller.
Summary of literature review and project motivation:

After studying these different sprayers available in the market it was concluded that
though a wide range of spraying equipments are available in the market, none of them
focuses on the problems faced by farmers to carry heavy equipments on their back and
the electricity scarcity problems in Indian villages.
This motivates us to fabricate a platform mounted solar powered agricultural spraying
machine.

MATERIAL SURVEY AND SELECTION:

A wide range of materials were available in market to fabricate this machine. However
choosing optimum materials was necessary as the cost of the fabrication of the machine
should be low so as to be easily affordable by Indian farmers.
The project began with selection of appropriate materials for chassis. The chassis or
frame is the integral component which houses all other components of the project.
Selection of frame material:
Since the frame or chassis forms the integral part of the project on which all the other
components can be mounted, care has to be taken while choosing th material for the
frame of the project.
The ideal requirements while the fabrcation of the frame are
a)
b)
c)
d)

Should hace enough space for mounting all the components

Should be strong enough to sustain all the forces
Should be economical in construction.
Should be light weight.

Considering the followin things in mind two materials were found to be ideal for chassis
fabrication.
1 inch square ERW pipes:
These are Electric resistace welded pipes. Electric Resistance Welding (ERW) pipe is
manufactured by rolling metal and then welding it longitudinally across its length. These
pipes not only provie sufficient strength in extreme conditions of the machine but also are
economical. Thus to fabricate the frame ERW steel pipes with 0.75 inch square cross
section were chosen.

Figure: Square ERW pipes

Selection of Solar panel:

The selection of solar panel was very imporatnt as the machine is solar powered. The
solar panel selected should meet the following requirements

1) Should be affordable
2) Should be able to mount in least space
3) Should charge the Batteyr in day long cycle
Considering these thisng sin mind the solar panel of 10 W was choosen
Selection of solar charge controller:
The solar charge controller plays a major role without which it is not possible to charge
the battery. As the charge controller regulates the charge coming out of the solar panel
and supplies it to the load the charge controller selected should meet the following
requirements
1) Should be economical
2) Should deliver the current required by the load
3) Should regulate the solar panel voltage to battery
4) Should have battery low cutoff function.
Keeping following things in mind, and considering the load current of < 5 A the 6 A
charge controller was choosen.
Selection of spray pump:
Since the entire system is designed to handle the load of < 5 amp the pump which
consumes less than 5 A of current was chosen. The pump chosen is 12 V 3.5 A pump.
Selection of power system:
Though the system is powered using solar energy, it requires battery to store the charge.
The battery selected need to meet the ofllowing requirements
1) To give sufficinet backup for spray pump
2) Should charge easily
3) Long battery life
4) Compact and economical
Based on the following requirements the batteyr choosen was 7.2 AH 12 V
battery.

STANDARD COMPONENTS USED IN THIS PROJECT:

1) Solar Panel:

This project uses 10 watt soalr panel. the following are the specifications of 10
Watt soalr panel. Solar panel refers to a panel designed to absorb the sun's rays as
a source of energy for generating electricity or heating. The primary component of
a solar panel is the solar cells, or photovoltaic cell. This is the key component that
converts sunlight into electricity.
At the present time about 80% of all solar panels are made from crystalline silicon
(i.e.,monocrystalline, polycrystalline, amorphous silicon, or hybrids) solar cells.
Typically the solar cells are laid out in a grid pattern with perhaps as many as 72
different solar cells. The other 20% consist primarily of solar cells made mostly
from Cadmium Telluride and a small but growing amount from CIGS. The appeal
of these types of cells is their low cost resulting from the fact they can be made in
large single sheets.
Lots of small solar cells spread over a large area can work together to provide
enough power to be useful. The more light that hits a cell, the more electricity it
produces, so the machine is usually designed with solar panels that can always be
pointed at the Sun even as the rest of the body of the machine moves around.

Figure 3 Solar Panel

This project uses a 10 Watt 12 V solar panel as it is sufficient to charge the
battery. The technical specifications of the solar panel are as shown below.

Specifications:
Max Rated Power (Pmax)
Voltage at Max Power (Vmp)
Current at Max Power (Imp)
Open Circuit Voltage (Voc)
Short Circuit Current (Isc)
Length x Width x Depth (inches)

10 Watts
17.3 Volts
0.59 Amps
21.8 Volts
0.64 Amps
13.8 x 11.8 x 0.98

2) Charge controller:
The charge controller is the device which is used to charge the battery and take
the load using the electricity generated by solar panel.
In our project as the net load will never exceed 5 amp, 5 to 1- amp solar charge
controller should sufficient.

A charge controller is an essential part of nearly all power systems that charge
batteries, whether the power source is PV, wind, hydro, fuel, or utility grid. Its purpose is
to

keep

your

batteries

properly

fed

and

safe

for

the

long

term.

The basic functions of a controller are quite simple. Charge controllers block reverse
current and prevent battery overcharge. Some controllers also prevent battery over

discharge, protect from electrical overload, and/or display battery status and the flow of
power.
Blocking

Let's

examine

each
Reverse

function

individually.
Current

Photovoltaic panels work by pumping current through your battery in one direction. At
night, the panels may pass a bit of current in the reverse direction, causing a slight
discharge from the battery. (Our term "battery" represents either a single battery or bank
of batteries.) The potential loss is minor, but it is easy to prevent. Some types of wind and
hydro generators also draw reverse current when they stop (most do not except under
fault

conditions).

In most controllers, charge current passes through a semiconductor (a transistor) which

acts like a valve to control the current. It is called a "semiconductor" because it passes
current only in one direction. It prevents reverse current without any extra effort or cost.
In some controllers, an electromagnetic coil opens and closes a mechanical switch. This
is called a relay. (You can hear it click on and off.) The relay switches off at night, to
block

reverse

current.

If you are using a PV array only to trickle-charge a battery (a very small array relative to
the size of the battery), then you may not need a charge controller. This is a rare
application. An example is a tiny maintenance module that prevents battery discharge in a
parked vehicle but will not support significant loads. You can install a simple diode in
that case, to block reverse current. A diode used for this purpose is called a "blocking
diode."
Preventing

Overcharge

When a battery reaches full charge, it can no longer store incoming energy. If energy
continues to be applied at the full rate, the battery voltage gets too high. Water separates
into hydrogen and oxygen and bubbles out rapidly. (It looks like it's boiling so we

sometimes call it that, although it's not actually hot.) There is excessive loss of water, and
a chance that the gasses can ignite and cause a small explosion. The battery will also
degrade rapidly and may possibly overheat. Excessive voltage can also stress your loads
(lights,

appliances,

etc.)

or

cause

your

inverter

to

shut

off.

Preventing overcharge is simply a matter of reducing the flow of energy to the battery
when the battery reaches a specific voltage. When the voltage drops due to lower sun
intensity or an increase in electrical usage, the controller again allows the maximum
possible charge. This is called "voltage regulating." It is the most essential function of all
charge controllers. The controller "looks at" the voltage, and regulates the battery
charging

in

response.

Some controllers regulate the flow of energy to the battery by switching the current fully
on or fully off. This is called "on/off control." Others reduce the current gradually. This is
called "pulse width modulation" (PWM). Both methods work well when set properly for
your

type

of

battery.

A PWM controller holds the voltage more constant. If it has two-stage regulation, it will
first hold the voltage to a safe maximum for the battery to reach full charge. Then, it will
drop the voltage lower, to sustain a "finish" or "trickle" charge. Two-stage regulating is
important for a system that may experience many days or weeks of excess energy (or
little use of energy). It maintains a full charge but minimizes water loss and stress.
The voltages at which the controller changes the charge rate are called set points. When
determining the ideal set points, there is some compromise between charging quickly
before the sun goes down, and mildly overcharging the battery. The determination of set
points depends on the anticipated patterns of usage, the type of battery, and to some
extent, the experience and philosophy of the system designer or operator. Some
controllers have adjustable set points, while others do not.

3) Pump:
The pump is used to pump the liquid form the tank and push it with high pressure
to the nozzle of the sprayer.

The specifications of the pump are:

Operating Voltage= 12 V
Current = 3.5 Amp
Discharge = 4 to 6 Litres per minute

4) Battery :
The battery used in this project is 12 V 7.2 AH sealed lead acid battery

The specifications of the battery are as follows:

Sl. No
1
2
3

Parameter
Voltage
Current
Power

CALCULATIONS:

Time required for battery charging

The power of the battery = 12 x 7.2 = 86.4 W

Value
12 V
7.2 Amp
86.4 Watt

The solar panel power input= 10 W

The time required for charging full battery
= 86.4/10
=8.64 hours
Assuming day long cycle of 8 9- hours the battery can be charged completely in
one day

The power consumed by motor is given by

P = 12 x 3.5
= 42 W
We know the power rating of the battery is 86.4 watt
Therefore the battery backup is given by 86.4 / 42
= 2.05 hours

MECHANICAL FABRICATION:

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES:

1)
2)
3)
4)

Advantages:
Solar powered hence doesnt required electricity in villages for charging
Can be used in remote locations.
Doesnt require farmers to carry heavy tanks on their back
Can be upgraded to higher tank capacity with ease

Disadvatages:
1) Requires some initial investment
2) Battery maintenance is required after some time