mAtching And industry smAll grAnt cOmpEtitiOns

Reducing pesticide use through targeted application in Ohio orchards and nurseries
Erdal Ozkan, Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering Because of great variability in canopy structure and foliage density in orchards and nurseries, conventional pesticide spray systems and methodologies are inefficient and often cause excessive pesticide use. Precise pesticide application is necessary for high crop yields, high production quality, and economic feasibility. Furthermore, the unnecessary overuse of pesticides can contaminate the environment and pose a hazard to both workers and livestock. To improve pesticide application efficiency, the research team developed an intelligent air-assisted sprayer prototype the first of its kind in the United States to discharge pesticide sprays that match target tree characteristics in real time. The sprayer integrates a highspeed laser scanning technology, a custom-designed sensor-signal analyzer, an automatic variable-rate controller, variable-rate nozzles, and a multi-channel air-assisted delivery system. The laser sensor unit characterizes the occurrence, height, and width of tree canopies with high detection resolution. Then, the automatic controller manipulates the spray outputs of individual nozzles. A computer program, including a unique foliage density algorithm, was developed to calculate sectional canopy volumes and foliage densities for the corresponding nozzles, and then synchronize the spray outputs with the laser sensor detection. Field experiments demonstrate that the new intelligent sprayer has the capability to achieve variable spray rates for different canopy structures and foliage densities of any tree up to three meters in height. Compared to conventional sprayers, the intelligent sprayer is more consistent in spray coverage and deposition inside canopies at different growth stages. Moreover, the intelligent sprayer can reduce spray volume by 47 to 73 percent, with much less pesticide loss on the ground, through tree gaps, and in the air. By accurately targeting spray applications, this new technology will help growers prevent excessive pesticide use and thus reduce production costs, worker exposure to pesticide risks, and adverse environmental contamination. Future work will focus on reducing the sprayers cost and testing it in commercial nurseries and orchards in Ohio, with the aim of farmers eventually adopting the new technology.

Erdal Ozkan

Precise pesticide application is necessary for high crop yields, high production quality, and economic feasibility. Furthermore, the unnecessary overuse of pesticides can contaminate the environment and pose a hazard to both workers and livestock.

www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/seeds

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SEEDS: The OARDC Research Enhancement Competitive Grants Program