SUMMARY FOR PRACTITIONERS ON THE MAIN FINDING(S)/INNOVATIVE SOLUTION(S):
Objective:
To develop a smart sprayer that is automatically controlled to apply prescribed rates based on the information recorded by the Cerberus Platform.
CERBERUS is a European research and development project being carried out with farmers in Spain, Italy, and Cyprus. Its aim is to create an early warning system for pests in Mediterranean crops, with the goal of eradicating pests sustainably and reducing pesticide use.
The development of new technological designs, such as the smart sprayer that automatically applies prescribed rates, is one of the key achievements of the Cerberus project.
Results (and practical recommendations):
CERBERUS smart sprayer is a smart solution for precision spraying in citrus orchard.
The prototype applies prescribes rates by 32 electronically controlled nozzles, saving product and ensuring the crop receives the minimum necessary amount of treatment. The smart sprayer automatically controls the pressure throughout the operation, ensuring stable droplet sizes and more uniform applications across the entire treatment. The sprayer correctly adjusts the amount of product applied by each nozzle according to the corresponding area on the map and the operation is accurately registered by the onboard sensor suite and GNSS receiver.
The prototype was designed by Universitat Politècnica de València (Spain) and built by project partner CLEYFER, the CERBERUS industrial partner responsible for integrating intelligent spraying technology into a robust, field-ready machine.
The design can integrate remote and proximal sensing, and precision applications and has the potential to become an effective system for optimizing the amount of product applied, reducing economic costs and environmental impact.