Pesticide Sprayers Research Articles

A Comprehensive Survey on Semi-Automatic Solar-Powered Pesticide Sprayers for Farming

In recent years, the agriculture sector has witnessed a growing demand for sustainable and efficient pest management solutions to enhance crop yield and reduce environmental impact. Among these solutions, semi-automatic solar-powered pesticide sprayers have emerged as promising tools for farmers worldwide. This paper presents a comprehensive survey of semi-automatic solar-powered pesticide sprayers designed for farming applications. The survey begins by exploring the motivations behind the development of solar-powered pesticide sprayers, emphasizing the need for environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional pesticide application methods. It proceeds to examine the key components and functionalities of these sprayers, including solar panels, rechargeable batteries, pumps, nozzles, and control systems. Special attention is given to the integration of solar energy harvesting mechanisms and their impact on operational efficiency and sustainability. Furthermore, the survey investigates the design considerations and technical challenges associated with the development of semi-automatic solar-powered pesticide sprayers. Topics such as system autonomy, spray coverage, pesticide dosage control, and user-friendly interfaces are thoroughly discussed. Additionally, the paper highlights recent advancements and innovations in the field, including the incorporation of smart sensors, GPS technology, and data analytics for precision spraying and monitoring.

Assessment of self-perceived risk and risk rating among chemical sprayers in selected tea plantations in South India

Introduction: Chemical sprayers of the tea plantation industry perceive various degrees of risk involved in their daily work. The objective of the study was to assess self-perceived risk and to rate these risks among the pesticide sprayers working in selected tea plantations in South India. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 290 chemical sprayers in six selected tea plantations in South India from September to October 2018 after approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee and permission from the plantations. Data was collected by structured interview schedule with the chemical sprayers and key informant interviews were conducted with their supervisors. The risks perceived by the sprayers were rated and expressed using the Risk Rating Matrix. Results: The mean age of the participants was 45.6±8.5 years and all of them were males. The most common risks encountered were leech bites (76%), other insect bites (58%) and bruises (46%). Chemical spills, splashes, slips, falls and backaches were considered as minor hazards in risk rating. Animal attacks and falls from trees were assigned the highest risk rating scores. Conclusion: Insect bite was the most common risk perceived and animal attacks attained the highest risk score. Regular supervision and monitoring of work-related risk factors can help in the reduction of common injuries thereby ensuring safety at the workplace.

Mandatory inspection of the technical correctness of pesticide sprayers in accordance with the ISO 16122 standard

Uspješna aplikacija pesticida omogućuje učinkovitu zaštitu bilja, ali i sprečava kontaminaciju okoliša i operatera sredstvima za zaštitu bilja. Preduvjeti uspješne aplikacije pesticida su educirani operateri i ispravni strojevi za aplikaciju pesticida (prskalice, orošivači i dr.). Ispravni strojevi za aplikaciju pesticida ispunjavaju uvjete propisane standardom ISO 16122. Korištenje tehnički ispravnih strojeva za aplikaciju pesticida je i zakonska obveza. Strojno pogonjene prskalice i orošivači (bez leđnih prskalica) podliježu obvezi tehničkog pregleda svake tri godine. Za nove strojeve prvi pregled vrijedi pet godina. Pregled prskalica sastoji se od: pripremnih radnji, vizualnog pregleda ispravnosti pojedinih komponenti i mjerenja parametara neophodnih za uspješan rad prskalice.

Relationship Between Length of Work, Duration of Work, Use of Personal Protective Equipment With Blood Cholinesterase Levels Among Farmers in Modoinding District

Background: The use of pesticides in agriculture has been perceived as beneficial for increasing production. Pesticides are essential material used to protect crops and agricultural products, livestock, and fish from damage caused by various pests.
 Objective: This research aims to determine the relationship between length of work, work period, and the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) with blood cholinesterase levels in pesticide sprayers among farmers in Modoinding Subdistrict.
 Method: This study is of an analytical with a cross-sectional study design. The study population consists of pesticide sprayers among farmers in Modoinding Subdistrict. The research sample was determined using cluster random sampling, where samples were taken from three villages.. From each village, 20 pesticide sprayers were randomly selected, resulting in a total sample size of 60 individuals. Data analysis using logistic regretion to assess the relationships between variables.
 Results: The research findings indicate that the majority (87%) of pesticide sprayers are above 20 years of age, and all respondents have a work period of more than 3 (three) years. This suggests that pesticide sprayers have been in contact with pesticides for an extended period. The use of PPE is still not a priority for these workers. All respondents (100%) handle pesticide-containing substances (herbicides, insecticides, fungicides) without using PPE, especially gloves and masks. During spraying, 100% of the respondents wear long-sleeved clothing, long pants, and hats, with 16% using masks. This situation indicates a high risk of pesticide poisoning among these farmers. The results of the blood cholinesterase level relationship test with work period show significant values (p=0.012), as do the length of service (p=0.00) and the use of PPE (p=0.000).
 Conclusion: There is a significant relationship between length of work, work period, and the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) with blood cholinesterase levels among vegetable farmers in Modoinding Subdistrict, South Minahasa Regency, North Sulawesi.

Humoral Inflammatory Markers of Total Immunoglobulin E (IgE) Exposure on Palm Oil Plantation Pesticide Sprayers

Pesticides are often used in oil palm plantations to prevent disturbing animals and plants. Pesticide sprayers are vulnerable to pesticide exposure which can reduce cholinesterase levels is an indicator of pesticide poisoning. Long-term pesticide exposure and excessive doses cause the production of free radicals in the body, thereby increasing inflammatory markers, one of which is total IgE. This study aimed to describe cholinesterase and total IgE levels in oil palm farmers. This study used the quantitative-descriptive research method. The sampling was conducted at PT. X in Sanggau District of West Kalimantan Province. Examining cholinesterase levels used the Architec c-8000 device with the DGKC butyrylthiocholine 37°C method, while total IgE used the immunochemmiluminescent method with the Immulite 2000 device. The examination was carried out at the Prodia National Reference Lab in Jakarta. Based on the cholinesterase measurement results taken from 133 workers who underwent medical check-ups, 20 data were taken that were close to the threshold value less than normal to examine total IgE levels. The results obtained from the overview of cholinesterase levels showed that 20 pesticide sprayers (100%) had normal cholinesterase levels, and four (20%) had normal total IgE levels. Pesticide exposure will decrease cholinesterase levels, and increase IgE levels.

Assessment of the Barrier Performance of the Flourosilicone Treated Fabric Exposed to Pesticides Spraying to Chilli Crop at Laboratory Conditions

In this study, in view of development of protective clothing for pesticide sprayers in chilli crop, the suitable fabric polyester 67/cotton 37 with weight 157.7 GSM was selected. BOND-WR-12-A RTU was aqueous fluorosilicone durable water and oil repellent emulsion was used to treat the fabric by using different application parameters at the rate of 5 per cent concentration. As per Chowdhury, 2018 water repellent finish type and concentrations were very important parameters to obtain water repellent fabric having acceptable use properties. Later, the treated fabric was exposed to the selected pesticides like Phosphamidon, Monocrotophos and Dimethoate for for three exposures. By estimating the absorption and penetration behaviour of the treated and untreated fabrics, the performance of silicon finish was determined by using four factor with CRD and Heuristic method. From this result, the treated fabric had restricted the absorbency over control fabric and the Studies on barrier clothing, [1,2] suggested that blends of polyester cotton and polyester viscose showed better barrier performance with minimum penetration of pesticides than other blended fabrics. Hence it can be used in development of protective clothing for pesticide applicators in chilli crop or any other field crops where ever pesticides are used.

Research on orchard navigation method based on fusion of 3D SLAM and point cloud positioning.

Accurate navigation is crucial in the construction of intelligent orchards, and the need for vehicle navigation accuracy becomes even more important as production is refined. However, traditional navigation methods based on global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and 2D light detection and ranging (LiDAR) can be unreliable in complex scenarios with little sensory information due to tree canopy occlusion. To solve these issues, this paper proposes a 3D LiDAR-based navigation method for trellis orchards. With the use of 3D LiDAR with a 3D simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithm, orchard point cloud information is collected and filtered using the Point Cloud Library (PCL) to extract trellis point clouds as matching targets. In terms of positioning, the real-time position is determined through a reliable method of fusing multiple sensors for positioning, which involves transforming the real-time kinematics (RTK) information into the initial position and doing a normal distribution transformation between the current frame point cloud and the scaffold reference point cloud to match the point cloud position. For path planning, the required vector map is manually planned in the orchard point cloud to specify the path of the roadway, and finally, navigation is achieved through pure path tracking. Field tests have shown that the accuracy of the normal distributions transform (NDT) SLAM method can reach 5cm in each rank with a coefficient of variation that is less than 2%. Additionally, the navigation system has a high positioning heading accuracy with a deviation within 1° and a standard deviation of less than 0.6° when moving along the path point cloud at a speed of 1.0m/s in a Y-trellis pear orchard. The lateral positioning deviation was also controlled within 5cm with a standard deviation of less than 2cm. This navigation system has a high level of accuracy and can be customized to specific tasks, making it widely applicable in trellis orchards with autonomous navigation pesticide sprayers.

Alterations in serum Thyroid and Reproductive hormone levels in occupationally exposed pesticides sprayers

Background: Pesticides contain endocrine disrupting chemicals that have potential to perturb the normal thyroid and reproductive hormone axis. The aim of present study was to estimate the variations in serum tri-iodothyronine (T3) tetra-iodothyronine (T4) thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and testosterone levels in occupationally exposed pesticide sprayers in comparison to controls.
 Methods: For this purpose, blood samples of (n=50) pesticide sprayers were collected from District Layyah, south Punjab, Pakistan. Whereas, samples (n=25) of healthy control subjects were obtained from University of the Punjab, Lahore. Levels of T3, T4, TSH and testosterone in the serum were estimated by ELISA technique. The data obtained was analyzed by applying Un-paired Student “t” test at with significance level of P < 0.05. Graph pad prism version 6.0 software was utilized for statistical interpretation.
 Results: Pronounced (P < 0.0001) decrease of both T3 and T4, whereas, a significant increase in TSH (P = 0.005) level was evidenced in pesticide sprayers as compared to controls. Moreover, a significant decrease (P < 0.001) was noted in the level of testosterone in pesticide sprayers as compared to controls.
 Conclusion: Pertinently, the pesticides are a potent source of inducing imbalances in T3, T4, TSH, and testosterone secretion. Pesticide sprayers are, therefore, recommended to use prophylactic measures like wearing face masks and opt safer protocols in order to avoid direct hazardous exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals.

Hubungan Perilaku Dengan Gejala Keracunan Pestisida Pada Petani Penyemprot di PT. Anam Koto Pasaman Barat Tahun 2022

Behavior (Knowledge, attitude, and action) in spraying pesticides affects the occurrence of poisoning symptoms in farmers spraying pesticides at PT. Anam Koto Pasaman Barat 2022, because pesticide spraying was found with a leaky tank, pesticide spraying farmers did not wear complete PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), male spray farmers smoked immediately with unclean hands, spraying also took place during the hot sun around 12.30 - 13.30. This study aims to determine the relationship between behavior and symptoms of pesticide poisoning in spraying farmers at PT. Anam Koto Pasaman Barat in 2022.This research is a quantitative research with a cross sectional approach conducted at PT. Anam Koto Pasaman Barat 2022 on 17–29 January 2022. The population in this study were pesticide spraying farmers at PT. Anam Koto Pasaman Barat as many as 83 people, with a sample of 45 people. Data was collected through interviews using a questionnaire. Data analysis was univariate and bivariate using Chi-Square statistical test.The results showed that there was a relationship between knowledge (p = 0,045), action (p = 0,004), behavior (p = 0,014) and there was no relationship between attitudes (p = 0,199) with symptoms of pesticide poisoning.The conclusion of this study is that there is a relationship between behavior and symptoms of poisoning in pesticide spraying farmers at PT. Anam Koto Pasaman Barat 2022.To reduce the symptoms of poisoning in farmers spraying pesticides. Pesticide sprayers should turn bad actions into correct actions in handling pesticides and the need for cooperation between the agriculture office and the health office in monitoring and assisting the use of pesticides by farmers.

Design of Pesticide Sprayers and Solar Lawn Mowers

Pesticide sprayer for farmers is a tool that is needed for farmers in the fields and in the fields until now, but in its use, farmers still feel complaints about the use of pesticide sprayers that still use the manual method. these complaints are tools that are less ergonomic and are still outdated and also when farmers want to cut grass sometimes it is very complicated to carry sickles and also when cutting grass. The purpose of this research is to assemble a pesticide sprayer and lawn mower with appropriate solar energy. with farmers' needs and to find out how efficient this tool is for farmers. The result of this study is a modified working system, especially for pesticide sprayers, where a 12 Volt DC motor as a substitute for human power and a lawn mower also uses a 12 Volt DC motor as a blade driver and for power uses solar energy which requires solar cells or solar panels and then stored into Battre or battery . The total cost of making this tool is around IDR 700,000.00

Symptoms of Pesticide Intoxication Among Vegetable Farmers in Gowa Regency, Indonesia

Farmers and pesticides are two inseparable things. Pesticides are one the toxic chemicals in the agricultural sector and use to control pests and weeds in the process of getting maximum yields. This study aimed to determine the symptoms of pesticide intoxication in vegetable farmers in Gowa Regency, Indonesia. This type of study was an analytical survey with a cross-sectional study design. The number of samples was 42 people consisting of vegetable farmers who were still actively working as pesticide sprayers and was determined by purposive sampling. For collecting data, it used interviews and screening for poisoning symptoms. Data were processed by tabulating (mentioning each participant in the study group) following the grouping of the variables examined and analyzed using the chi-square test. The results showed that the most common symptoms of pesticide intoxication were felt by farmers, namely muscle pain, headaches, and dizziness. This study found a relationship between spraying methods, personal hygiene, and personal protective equipment to symptoms of pesticide intoxication (p<0.05). This study recommends that vegetable farmers pay attention to the proper use of pesticides to minimize pesticide intoxication in the body.

Pesticide screening and health risk assessment of residential dust in a rural region of the North China Plain.

Pesticides that have accumulated in arable soil could be easily transported by wind erosion, thereby potentially threating air quality and human health in surrounding areas. The risks this poses to farmers exposed to pesticide-associated dust is still unknown, especially in rural areas of China. In this study, we screened pesticide residues in dust (indoor and outdoor) collected from the homes and yards of pesticide sprayers (21 participants) and farm workers (14 participants) living in Quzhou County located in the North China Plain to assess health risks by exposed to pesticide-contaminated dust. The results showed that multiple pesticide residues were detected in the dust samples and more than 90% of the samples contained over 10 pesticide residues. The maximum detected number of residues was 23, out of the 25 pesticides currently used in the farming area. There was a wide range of pesticide concentrations with the geometric mean values measuring between 0.03 and 0.86mgkg-1. More residues and higher concentrations of pesticides were detected in indoor dust compared to outdoor dust. Over the monitoring period, the pesticide application has not caused significant pesticide accumulation in dust. The measured concentrations of carbendazim, dimethomorph, dimethomorph and pendimethalin paired indoor-outdoor dust samples were significantly correlated (p<0.05). The health risks were assessed using the hazard index (HI) and highest HI was found for children under indoor exposure (HI=0.82). In addition, based on the survey and statistics, pesticide preparation in the home was significantly correlated with the pesticide indoor exposure level. Therefore, farmers should take measures, such as preparing pesticides outside of the house or in the open fields with protection, in order to avoid the exposure risk of pesticides associated with dust.

Design and Analysis of Modified Agricultural Sprayer Machine

Abstract: India is an agriculture based country in which, 70% of people depends on the outcome of farming. But if we observe that with increase in population the farm gets distributed among the family and because of this, farmer in India held averagely only two acre farm. Also economically, farmers are very poor due to which they are unable to purchase costly equipments hence they use traditional method of farming. In this project we’ll take a look at solar operated pesticides sprayers on wheels. A sprayer of this type is a great way to cover large areas such as lawns quickly and easily. Solar spray are the ultimate cost effective solution at the locations where spraying is required. This study attempts to provide a comprehensive solution to agriculture's future energy requirements. Spraying does not happen all year long. As a result, the same PV (Photo-Voltaic) system used in solar sprayers may be used to power other agricultural operations such as pumping and lighting. Increased pricing and no availability of traditional power or fuel at peak times in remote areas are two variables that influence their adoption. As a result, the focus should be on designing and developing self-contained renewable energy sources that can provide consistent electricity and meet the energy needs of farmers who are far away from their farms

Respiratory Health among Pesticide Sprayers at Flower Farms in Ethiopia.

Background: Pesticide use in Ethiopia has become a common practice in which large-scale flower farms are the main consumers. Workers on flower farms might be exposed to pesticides while spraying or while performing other tasks related to pesticide use and management. It is unclear whether working as a flower farm sprayer is associated with respiratory health problems. Objective: The objective of this study was to compare respiratory symptoms and lung function indices between pesticide sprayers and non-spraying workers. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 15 flower farms, involving all-male sprayers as the pesticide-exposed group and all other male workers as a control group. Data were collected using a standard questionnaire for respiratory symptoms developed by the British Medical Research Council and the American Thoracic Society. Lung function tests were performed to determine forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume at one second (FEV1), mid 50 expiratory flow, and the ratio of FEV1 to FVC. Chi-squared tests and Poisson regression analyses were used to compare respiratory symptoms between the two working groups. General linear regression models were used to compare lung function test indices between spraying and non-spraying working groups. The significance level was set to 0.05. Results: A total of 285 male workers participated (152 sprayers and 133 non-spraying workers). The mean age of the workers was 25 years for sprayers and 24 years for non-sprayers. The proportions of cough, cough with sputum, breathlessness, and wheezing were similar in the two groups, while chest tightness was significantly high in the non-spraying group. Sprayers had significantly higher FVC and FEV1 than the non-spraying group. Conclusions: Respiratory symptoms were not different between the sprayers and non-spraying workers except that the non-spraying workers had increased chest tightness. FVC and FEV1 were significantly higher among sprayers relative to non-sprayers. The results must be interpreted with caution, as the sprayers used respiratory protective equipment, which probably reduced their exposure to the pesticides. Also, the workers were young, and a healthy worker effect might be present among the sprayers.

Pengaruh Penggunaan Teknologi Terhadap Sikap Toleransi Petani Dalam Menghadapi Risiko Usahatani Jagung Di Kecamatan Bandar Baru Kabupaten Pidie Jaya

Corn is one of the food crops cultivated in Aceh Province, precisely in Bandar Baru District, Pidie Jaya Regency. Local corn farmers are soybean farmers who replace crop commodities for cultivation because the selling price of soybeans is lower than the price of corn. The existence of farming risk that occurs forces farmers to have a tolerance attitude towards risk so that the farming that is run will still exist even though the risk occurs. The purpose of this study was to find out what technology has been applied by corn farmers in Bandar Baru District and how the influence of technology use on farmers' tolerance in dealing with corn farming risks. The results of the study show that there have been many application technologies adopted by farmers in Bandar Baru District, 43% of them have reached the high category. The technology that has been applied by corn farmers in Bandar Baru District is the use of superior varieties, quality seeds, botanical pesticides, integrated pest control, tractors, weeding tools, corn shellers, pesticide sprayers, sanitation, rain-fed systems, and drying systems. Then corn farmers in Bandar Baru District who adopt high category application technology are more tolerant of corn farming risks.

Determinants of Hypertension amongst Rice Farmers in West Java, Indonesia.

The hypertension rate in Indonesia has increased significantly in the past five years, but there is limited information about the hypertension risk of farmers. Our study assesses the prevalence of hypertension in this population and examines the proportional risk of various work environment and lifestyle factors among farmers. A cross-sectional study was conducted in high and low heat stress agriculture areas of West Java, Indonesia. There were 354 male farmers aged 25 to 73 years old who participated in the study. We measured blood pressure and used a questionnaire on self-reported use of anti-hypertension drugs or diagnosis by a medical professional to define hypertension. We assessed occupational factors including farming methods, heat stress and pesticide use, and personal factors including obesity, food intake, smoking status, alcohol consumption. Multivariate analysis was used to evaluate factors potentially associated with prevalence of hypertension. Forty-six percent of farmers experience hypertension. Farming in a location with higher heat stress (WBGT) was significantly associated with increased risk of hypertension (adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) 1.41, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01, 1.95). Farmers who used pesticide sprayers had an increased risk of hypertension (aPR 1.90, 95% CI 0.93, 3.87). No personal/lifestyle characteristics were significantly associated with hypertension, although ever smoking and ever consuming alcohol had an increased prevalence of hypertension. This study shows the importance of work environmental factors in the prevalence of hypertension and the necessity of public health education, identification and treatment of this “silent killer” among Indonesian farmers.

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders among pesticide sprayers of tea plantations in South India

Introduction: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) are conditions in which the work environment and performance of work contribute significantly to the musculoskeletal condition. The objective of this study was to assess the work-related musculoskeletal disorders among the pesticide sprayers in tea plantations.&#x0D; Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 290 chemical sprayers in selected tea plantations in South India from September to October 2018. Simple random sampling was done to select the sprayers for the study, written informed consent was taken and face–to–face interview was done with the sprayers. Socio-demographic factors and work profiles were noted. The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire was used for the evaluation of musculoskeletal complaints.&#x0D; Results: Among the 290 sprayers in the study, all of them were males and the mean age of the participants was 45.6±8.5 years. More than half of the study participants 152 (52.4%) suffered from at least one musculoskeletal complaint and most of them 104 (35.8%) had pain in more than one body part. Among them, more than one-third 101 (34.8%) suffered from knee joint pain in the past twelve months. Shoulder problems (27.6%), lower back (22.8%) and upper back pains (19.3%) were the other major work-related musculoskeletal disorders that the study participants faced in the past year. Knee pain (31.7%), low backache (20.7%) and shoulder pain (24.1%) were the musculoskeletal problems that were related to their absence from work.&#x0D; Conclusion: More than half of the sprayers had at least one musculoskeletal complaint. Most common issues included knee joint pain, shoulder pain and back pains.

Morbidity Profile and Cholinesterase Levels among Sprayers in Selected Tea Plantations in South India.

Background:The tea plantation industry is composed of a complex chain of workers whose functions often overlap. There has been an extensive use of pesticides in this sector, and in the long term, these can have detrimental effects on the chemical sprayers working in the tea plantations.Aims:To assess the morbidities related to pesticide toxicity and document the most recent plasma cholinesterase levels among the pesticide sprayers working in selected tea plantations in South India.Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted among 290 chemical sprayers in selected tea plantations in South India after approval from the Institutional Ethics Committee and permission from the plantations. A structured interview schedule was administered by face-to-face interview with the selected sample. The blood cholinesterase detection done at the Estate Hospital was documented by the interviewer.Results:The mean age of the participants was 45.6 ± 8.5 years and all of them were males. About 35.2% of the participants had reported at least one symptom of organophosphorus toxicity. The most common symptom was headache (21.7%) followed by itching of the eyes (20%) and watering of the eyes (16.2%). The blood cholinesterase values were normal in most of the sprayers in the study and only four (1.4%) sprayers had values less than the reference range. There was a significant association between the duration of work, method of spraying, and the blood cholinesterase levels indicating that greater duration of exposure and more direct contact with the chemical raise the cholinesterase levels significantly.Conclusion:The symptoms of pesticide toxicity were reported among the sprayers. The blood cholinesterase levels were normal for most of them.

Design and Analysis of Photovoltaic Powered Battery-Operated Computer Vision-Based Multi-Purpose Smart Farming Robot

Farm machinery like water sprinklers (WS) and pesticide sprayers (PS) are becoming quite popular in the agricultural sector. The WS and PS are two distinct types of machinery, mostly powered using conventional energy sources. In recent times, the battery and solar-powered WS and PS have also emerged. With the current WS and PS, the main drawback is the lack of intelligence on water and pesticide use decisions and autonomous control. This paper proposes a novel multi-purpose smart farming robot (MpSFR) that handles both water sprinkling and pesticide spraying. The MpSFR is a photovoltaic (PV) powered battery-operated internet of things (IoT) and computer vision (CV) based robot that helps in automating the watering and spraying process. Firstly, the PV-powered battery-operated autonomous MpSFR equipped with a storage tank for water and pesticide drove with a programmed pumping device is engineered. The sprinkling and spraying mechanisms are made fully automatic with a programmed pattern that utilizes IoT sensors and CV to continuously monitor the soil moisture and the plant’s health based on pests. Two servo motors accomplish the horizontal and vertical orientation of the spraying nozzle. We provided an option to remotely switch the sprayer to spray either water or pesticide using an infrared device, i.e., within a 5-m range. Secondly, the operation of the developed MpSFR is experimentally verified in the test farm. The field test’s observed results include the solar power profile, battery charging, and discharging conditions. The results show that the MpSFR operates effectively, and decisions on water use and pesticide are automated.

Development of a local unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) pesticide sprayer for rice production system in the Philippines

Currently, commercially available UAV Pesticide Sprayers in the Philippines are very expensive. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a locally made automated UAV Pesticide Sprayer for rice production system that is much cheaper than the current price in the market. Moreover, the One-liter Capacity UAV Pesticide Sprayer has an autopilot flight control system- allowing the pilot to fly the UAV without directly maneuvering the controls. Pixhawk 2 Cube and Arduino Uno were used as flight and spray controllers, respectively, while Mission Planner 1.3.68 was used as the UAV sprayer’s ground control station. The result from the UAV sprayer’s field performance test revealed that its effective field capacity was 750 m2 per 10 minutes, and its application rate was 3.2 liters per 1,000 m2 of the field. Meanwhile, it was observed that its battery’s life was too short to cover at least a tenth of a hectare. Nonetheless, it was found that relative to the tank capacity and field capacity of the UAV Pesticide Sprayer, the one that was developed in this study was the cheapest, compared to the current price of UAV Sprayers in the market.