Benefits of the nozzle control system in sprayers

The transformation in the countryside is happening, agriculture and technology are moving together, resulting in investment in sustainability and a greater number of agricultural innovations, solutions that aim to make the farmer's daily life easier.

Precision agriculture seeks to achieve maximum production potential in the planting area, using high-tech tools and scientific knowledge. Technological solutions working alongside machines bring more effective results, meeting the needs of the producer. High technology applied in the field is increasingly stronger and is transforming the future of agriculture.

PULVERIZATION

There are many challenges faced by producers when spraying, including climatic conditions, such as temperature, relative humidity and wind speed. Low spraying efficiency can also be caused by operating conditions such as pressure, work speed, nozzle type, boom height, flow rate and droplet size. Aiming to minimize the impacts caused and obtain a more precise application, Raven nozzle control systems, Hawkeye®, were installed in sprayers at different sugarcane plants located in the state of São Paulo. The system is based on pressure and flow control, has curve compensation and allows precise application in the most diverse conditions, with nozzle-to-nozzle operation. Each nozzle is controlled by a PWM valve that commands proportional opening and closing at a frequency of 10Hz, allowing pressure control over a wider range of sprayer speeds as working conditions change, resulting in better size control and droplet distribution.

CURVE COMPENSATION

In a conventional sprayer, the volume per minute of the nozzles throughout the boom is the same, therefore, when it turns, the speed on the outer boom is higher, resulting in a lower concentration of product in that area. Due to this, the application is not carried out in the amount recommended by the agronomist, which may cause weeds and pests to appear or create the need for reapplication. At the same time, on the inside of the bar the speed is lower and the application is carried out with greater volume, this excessive amount of product can cause burns (phytotoxicity). In the Hawkeye® system, the control module is responsible for curve compensation, that is, the flow is controlled proportionally from nozzle to nozzle and the application occurs uniformly (Figure 1).

OVERLAPPING RANGE

In the spray control system, the boom is subdivided into parts (sections), with each section having a respective number of nozzles. Currently, most sprayers operate with a limited number of sections, so when shutdown occurs, overlapping results, generating waste of chemicals, environmental impacts and increased costs. The Hawkeye® system performs nozzle-by-nozzle control and provides greater precision when shutting off. Figure 2 shows the effect of the conventional sectional system and automatic nozzle-to-nozzle shutdown.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

To prove the efficiency of the system both in terms of assertiveness in application and savings with chemical products, comparative analyzes are shown (Figures 3 and 4), both carried out in sugarcane plants located in the state of São Paulo. The areas analyzed have a first scenario in which application occurs irregularly, with greater occurrence of bands with overapplication and underapplication in a conventional system. In the second scenario using the Hawkeye® system, it is possible to observe greater application uniformity. Below are comparative application maps for sugarcane mills. The application objective was 200L/ha with a tolerance range of 10%.

Table 1 shows the comparative result between the conventional system and the Hawkeye® system. Application made at lower than recommended rates was reduced from 6,04% to 3,37%, while over-rate applications were reduced from 9,18% to 3,71% and overlap fell from 10,38% to 4,4%. The reduction in input consumption was 182,2L, around 14,8% of total inputs. The results show that assertiveness in application results in quality, effectiveness and savings on chemical products.

AGRONOMIC QUALITY

The agronomic quality parameter in an application directly depends on the size and quantity of drops in a given area. Tests were carried out with water-sensitive papers in order to evaluate the distribution of the drops with the sprayer working at speeds between 14km/h and 20km/h in the conventional system and using the Hawkeye® system. It was possible to verify that the Hawkeye® system presented uniformity in the size and distribution of the drops, even with speed variations.

Table 2 shows a comparison between the number of drops, density and percentage of coverage for the conventional system and the Hawkeye® system. The number of drops for a conventional sprayer working between speeds of 14km/h to 20km/h varied from 323 to 1.064 and in the Hawkeye® system the variation occurred from 1.100 to 910. The density for the conventional system was 2,43 drops /cm² to 8,08 drops/cm² and in the Hawkeye® system it went from 9,38 drops/cm² to 8,11 drops/cm². Coverage for the conventional system varied from 11,54% to 31,46%, while for the Hawkeye® system it was from 28,06% to 24,12%. The results prove greater uniformity in application.

QUALITY AND EFFICIENCY IN CHEMICAL MIXING

The worker's direct exposure to agricultural pesticides for the preparation of the syrup can put their health at risk, as well as the loss of efficiency of the product over time - after the mixture has been prepared, since the active ingredients degrade, totally or partially making the products in the tank unusable. These are just some of the challenges faced in the process of preparing the mixture and applying it.

One solution to these challenges is the use of direct injection in the sprayer, where the agricultural pesticide is mixed at the exact moment of application and without direct exposure of the worker to the pesticide. In this solution there is a specific tank for the chemical product and a positive displacement pump, which is responsible for injecting the product into the line according to the information added on the monitor. Therefore, with the Sidekick™ Direct Injection System there is no waste of unused products, as there is no need for pre-mixing or mixing in tanks.

RAVEN'S PURPOSE

At Raven, we aspire to solve big challenges. The Raven team, together with partners, strives to bring high technology to the field and help farmers solve daily challenges. Raven is a company focused on feeding the world, protecting the earth's resources, improving security and connectivity, always with quality, service, innovation and high performance.

Advantages of the Hawkeye system

• Simple to install, configure and calibrate;

• A single control module that regulates rate, pressure and section shutdown;

• Mapping and collecting data from each nozzle for more accurate analysis;

• System compatible with several monitors that work with ISOBUS communication protocol;

• Solutions for all types of sprayers.