Evaluation of Spray Characteristics of Pesticide Injection System in Agricultural Drones

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Online ISSN 2234-1862 Print ISSN 1738-1266

TECHNICAL ARTICLE

Evaluation of Spray Characteristics of Pesticide Injection System in Agricultural Drones Seung-Hwa Yu 1 & Young-Keun Kim 1 & Hyeon-Jong Jun 1 & Il Su Choi 1 & Jea-Keun Woo 1 & Young-Hwa Kim 1 & Young-Tae Yun 1 & Yong Choi 1 & Reza Alidoost 2 & Jeekeun Lee 2 Received: 29 July 2020 / Revised: 22 September 2020 / Accepted: 23 September 2020 # The Korean Society for Agricultural Machinery 2020

Abstract Purpose This study aims to verify that the characteristics of the typical injection pumps and nozzles used in pesticide injection systems in current agricultural drones in Korea are consistent with those presented in the product specifications, and to provide experimental quantitative data for selecting the correct pump and nozzle. Methods The performances of three types of pumps and 18 types of nozzles currently in use were evaluated in terms of the pressure-flow rate curve, injection flow rate, spray angle, and droplet size. Results For pesticide injection pumps, the maximum pressure and pressure-flow rate curve should include the nozzle’s injection pressure and flow rate range. Most of the 18 nozzles used in the test showed nearly the same results as the flow rates suggested from the manufacturer, but the spray angle showed a difference of up to 10%. The droplet size was slightly smaller than the value suggested by the manufacturer, and the relative span factor ranged from 0.2 to 1.2. Conclusion The pressure-flow rate curves of the injection pumps and spray angles of the commercial nozzles used for agricultural control drones must be evaluated for official approval/assessment of such agricultural drones to ensure the performance of agricultural drone sprayers. Keywords Agricultural drone sprayer . Injection nozzle . Pesticide injection system . Precision pesticide control

Introduction Recently, owing to developments in science and technology, the mechanization and “intelligentization” of agriculture have been rapidly progressing, and farming using unmanned helicopters and drones is emerging as a countermeasure for the aging agricultural labor population. Agricultural drones are being used to observe diseases and pests such as pine wilt, as well as for precision pest control, such as by spraying pesticides. Precision pest control using drones is known to have a high control * Young-Tae Yun [email protected] * Jeekeun Lee [email protected] 1

National Institute of Agricultural Science, Rural Development Administration (RDA), Jeonju 54875, Republic of Korea

2

Department of Mechanical System Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea

effect, as the low altitude (3 to 5 m) for spraying pesticides minimizes the exposure to pesticides, and the downward wind from the drone rotor blade allows the pesticides to evenly permeate to the lower parts of crops. Moreover, it is attracting significant attention from farmers, as the average control time is 1/10 that of power sprayers, saving labor. Moreover, it is very economical, with 1/5