Portable Machine with Embedded System for Applying Granulated Fertilizers at Variable Rate
Coffee production in mountainous regions faces significant challenges to mechanization, particularly in management and fertilization. Fertilizer application remains largely manual, reducing accuracy and failing to meet the demands of variable-rate application (VRA). This study developed a portable V...
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MDPI AG
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Agriculture |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/4/361 |
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| author | Igor Rodrigues Quintão Domingos Sárvio Magalhães Valente André Luiz de Freitas Coelho Daniel Marçal de Queiroz Marconi Ribeiro Furtado Junior Flora Maria de Melo Villar Pedro Henrique de Moura Rodrigues |
| author_facet | Igor Rodrigues Quintão Domingos Sárvio Magalhães Valente André Luiz de Freitas Coelho Daniel Marçal de Queiroz Marconi Ribeiro Furtado Junior Flora Maria de Melo Villar Pedro Henrique de Moura Rodrigues |
| author_sort | Igor Rodrigues Quintão |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Coffee production in mountainous regions faces significant challenges to mechanization, particularly in management and fertilization. Fertilizer application remains largely manual, reducing accuracy and failing to meet the demands of variable-rate application (VRA). This study developed a portable VRA fertilizer applicator with an embedded electronic control system. The innovation lies in its electrically driven metering mechanism integrated with an electronic control unit (ECU), enabling site-specific fertilization based on prescription maps or predefined rates while recording application coordinates. The mechanism was tested under laboratory and field conditions, evaluating its performance across four fertilizer types, varying inclination angles, and rotational speeds. Results showed a coefficient variation of 0.41% for doses above 24 g, demonstrating high consistency irrespective of fertilizer type or terrain slope. Field tests using potassium chloride (KCl) prescriptions (55, 123, and 185 g/plant; 220, 492, and 740 kg/ha) revealed minimal deviations, with the largest at 22.72 g and the smallest at 0.384 g. These findings demonstrate the applicator’s precision and efficiency, addressing the challenges of mountainous terrains. This system provides technological advancement for sustainable coffee production, enhancing resource optimization and supporting precision agriculture in challenging environments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-302d53009a6d429fb8b317e2a374fd7a |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2077-0472 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agriculture |
| spelling | doaj-art-302d53009a6d429fb8b317e2a374fd7a2025-08-20T02:44:33ZengMDPI AGAgriculture2077-04722025-02-0115436110.3390/agriculture15040361Portable Machine with Embedded System for Applying Granulated Fertilizers at Variable RateIgor Rodrigues Quintão0Domingos Sárvio Magalhães Valente1André Luiz de Freitas Coelho2Daniel Marçal de Queiroz3Marconi Ribeiro Furtado Junior4Flora Maria de Melo Villar5Pedro Henrique de Moura Rodrigues6Department of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, BrazilDepartment of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, BrazilDepartment of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, BrazilDepartment of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, BrazilDepartment of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, BrazilDepartment of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, BrazilDepartment of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, BrazilCoffee production in mountainous regions faces significant challenges to mechanization, particularly in management and fertilization. Fertilizer application remains largely manual, reducing accuracy and failing to meet the demands of variable-rate application (VRA). This study developed a portable VRA fertilizer applicator with an embedded electronic control system. The innovation lies in its electrically driven metering mechanism integrated with an electronic control unit (ECU), enabling site-specific fertilization based on prescription maps or predefined rates while recording application coordinates. The mechanism was tested under laboratory and field conditions, evaluating its performance across four fertilizer types, varying inclination angles, and rotational speeds. Results showed a coefficient variation of 0.41% for doses above 24 g, demonstrating high consistency irrespective of fertilizer type or terrain slope. Field tests using potassium chloride (KCl) prescriptions (55, 123, and 185 g/plant; 220, 492, and 740 kg/ha) revealed minimal deviations, with the largest at 22.72 g and the smallest at 0.384 g. These findings demonstrate the applicator’s precision and efficiency, addressing the challenges of mountainous terrains. This system provides technological advancement for sustainable coffee production, enhancing resource optimization and supporting precision agriculture in challenging environments.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/4/361precision agricultureknapsack granule applicatorembedded systemsite-specific managementmountain agriculture |
| spellingShingle | Igor Rodrigues Quintão Domingos Sárvio Magalhães Valente André Luiz de Freitas Coelho Daniel Marçal de Queiroz Marconi Ribeiro Furtado Junior Flora Maria de Melo Villar Pedro Henrique de Moura Rodrigues Portable Machine with Embedded System for Applying Granulated Fertilizers at Variable Rate Agriculture precision agriculture knapsack granule applicator embedded system site-specific management mountain agriculture |
| title | Portable Machine with Embedded System for Applying Granulated Fertilizers at Variable Rate |
| title_full | Portable Machine with Embedded System for Applying Granulated Fertilizers at Variable Rate |
| title_fullStr | Portable Machine with Embedded System for Applying Granulated Fertilizers at Variable Rate |
| title_full_unstemmed | Portable Machine with Embedded System for Applying Granulated Fertilizers at Variable Rate |
| title_short | Portable Machine with Embedded System for Applying Granulated Fertilizers at Variable Rate |
| title_sort | portable machine with embedded system for applying granulated fertilizers at variable rate |
| topic | precision agriculture knapsack granule applicator embedded system site-specific management mountain agriculture |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/4/361 |
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