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Design and Development of a Variable Rate Applicator for Real-Time Application of Fertilizer

Author

Listed:
  • Hasan Mirzakhaninafchi

    (Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology (COAET), Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana 141004, India)

  • Manjeet Singh

    (Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology (COAET), Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana 141004, India)

  • Vishal Bector

    (Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology (COAET), Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana 141004, India)

  • O. P. Gupta

    (Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana 141004, India)

  • Rajvir Singh

    (Department of Electronic and Communication Engineering, Chitkara University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Chitkara University, Rajpura 140401, India)

Abstract

Variable rate technology offers a sustainable, efficient, and cost-effective solution for fertilizer application. A study was conducted to design and develop a variable rate fertilizer applicator to detect real-time deficiency of N within the field and apply it per requirement of the crop. The microcontroller system was designed to receive a signal from the N sensor and send a signal to the pulse-width-modulation valve to vary the rotational speed of the hydraulic motor resulting in variation in the rotation of the metering mechanism drive shaft based on the recommended amount of fertilizer. During the field study, three replications were conducted, each of which was divided into four plots. The response time between the N sensing and fertilizer discharging fell within the range of 3.49 to 4.90 s. Fertilizer applied using the developed variable rate applicator indicated that when the fertilizer rate is increased from N1 to N4 (kg ha −1 ), NDVI increased from 0.56 to 0.78 and drive shaft rotational speed decreased from 20 to 0 rpm in order to apply the fertilizer at a rate of 0.00 instead of 78.36 kg ha −1 . Using the developed applicator demonstrates that this technology could reduce environmental impact, making farming more sustainable.

Suggested Citation

  • Hasan Mirzakhaninafchi & Manjeet Singh & Vishal Bector & O. P. Gupta & Rajvir Singh, 2021. "Design and Development of a Variable Rate Applicator for Real-Time Application of Fertilizer," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-16, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:16:p:8694-:d:608054
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jelle Van Loon & Alicia B. Speratti & Louis Gabarra & Bram Govaerts, 2018. "Precision for Smallholder Farmers: A Small-Scale-Tailored Variable Rate Fertilizer Application Kit," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 8(4), pages 1-14, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Peng Zhou & Yazhou Ou & Wei Yang & Yixiang Gu & Yinuo Kong & Yangxin Zhu & Chengqian Jin & Shanshan Hao, 2024. "Variable-Rate Fertilization for Summer Maize Using Combined Proximal Sensing Technology and the Nitrogen Balance Principle," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-17, July.
    2. Hasan Mirzakhaninafchi & Manjeet Singh & Anoop Kumar Dixit & Apoorv Prakash & Shikha Sharda & Jugminder Kaur & Ali Mirzakhani Nafchi, 2022. "Performance Assessment of a Sensor-Based Variable-Rate Real-Time Fertilizer Applicator for Rice Crop," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-25, September.
    3. Xiuhua Song & Hong Li & Chao Chen & Huameng Xia & Zhiyang Zhang & Pan Tang, 2022. "Design and Experimental Testing of a Control System for a Solid-Fertilizer-Dissolving Device Based on Fuzzy PID," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-15, September.

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