Precision fertilisation technologies for berry plantation
Laen...
Kuupäev
2020
Kättesaadav alates
Autorid
Virro, Indrek
Arak, Margus
Maksarov, Viacheslav
Olt, Jüri
Ajakirja pealkiri
Ajakirja ISSN
Köite pealkiri
Kirjastaja
Abstrakt
Increased cost-effectiveness in crop production can be achieved by automating
technological operations. This is also the case for berry cultivation in plantations. Starting any
berry cultivation automation process should, quite naturally, begin with fertilisation, since this is
the first technological operation to be carried out during the vegetation period and is a relatively
simple one. The main task here is to apply the correct amount of fertiliser under the canopy
of plants. Blueberry plantations that have been established on milled peat fields have plants that
have been planted in parallel rows at a pre-designated interval. The fertilisation of plants must
take place individually in the first years of their growth, so that each plant is fertilised separately.
This form of fertilisation can be referred to as precision fertilisation. The aim of this paper was
to provide an overview of the levels of technology now available when it comes to precision
fertiliser equipment and to introduce the concept of a new precision-automated fertiliser unit, while also justifying the efficiency of using automated equipment. The automated fertiliser unit
that is to be designed will be autonomous, will move unmanned through the plantation, and will
include the necessary sub-systems for the precision fertilisation of individual plants, such as a
plant detection system, a fertilising nozzle, a motion system and, additionally, a service station. On the basis of the results obtained, it can be argued that the use of an automated precision
fertilisation unit increases productivity levels by approximately 2.25 times and decreases the
specific fertiliser costs by approximately 8.4 times when compared with the use of a portable spot
fertiliser.
Kirjeldus
Märksõnad
berry plantation, agricultural robotics, precision fertilising, product design and development, articles