Automatic control of the droplet spectrum of a hydropneumatic sprayer according to the vapor pressure deficit in the air

Authors

  • Cleyton Batista de Alvarenga Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso (UFMT)
  • Mauri Martins Teixeira Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV)
  • Sérgio Zolnier Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV)
  • Robson Shigueaki Sasaki Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV)
  • Paula Cristina Natalino Rinaldi Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Sudeste de Minas Gerais (IFSudesteMG)

Keywords:

Pesticide application technology, evaporation of droplets during pesticide spraying, embedded electronics in sprayers.

Abstract

The principle of fractionation and droplets size are crucial for the success of pest control. This study aimed at developing and evaluating an automated system to control the spraying droplet spectrum according to the vapor pressure deficit in the air. The automatic control system consisted of a temperature and relative humidity sensor, a microcontroller, a servomotor and a hydropneumatic sprayer. Spraying was performed on water sensitive paper labels arranged on wooden supports for different vapor pressure deficits in the air. After scanning and analysing the paper labels, three working pressures were selected (633 kPa, 844 kPa and 1,055 kPa) for use in the automated system. The results indicated that the controller efficiently maintained the droplets spectrum when spraying pesticides. Automation enabled the maintenance of the spray volume by altering the working pressure, according to the vapor pressure deficit in the air. Spraying with the automated system presented a droplet spectrum quality superior to the one obtained by using the manual system at the pressure of 633 kPa.

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Author Biographies

Cleyton Batista de Alvarenga, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso (UFMT)

Doutor em Engenharia Agrícola - com enfase em Máquinas e Mecanização Agrícola e Tecnologia de Aplicação de Agrotóxicos.

Mauri Martins Teixeira, Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV)

Dr. em Agronomia, professor e pesquisador na UFV

Sérgio Zolnier, Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV)

Dr. em Engenharia Agrícola, professor e pesquisador na UFV

Robson Shigueaki Sasaki, Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV)

Doutorando em Engenharia Agrícola, pesquisador na UFV

Paula Cristina Natalino Rinaldi, Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Sudeste de Minas Gerais (IFSudesteMG)

Dra. em Engenharia Agrícola, professora e pesquisadora no IFET-MG

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Published

2013-04-02

How to Cite

ALVARENGA, C. B. de; TEIXEIRA, M. M.; ZOLNIER, S.; SASAKI, R. S.; RINALDI, P. C. N. Automatic control of the droplet spectrum of a hydropneumatic sprayer according to the vapor pressure deficit in the air. Pesquisa Agropecuária Tropical [Agricultural Research in the Tropics], Goiânia, v. 43, n. 1, p. 26–33, 2013. Disponível em: https://revistas.ufg.br/pat/article/view/19086. Acesso em: 23 nov. 2024.

Issue

v. 43, n. 1, Jan./Mar. 2013

Section

Biosystems Engineering

License

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