Influence of Spray Parameters of a UAV Sprayer on Droplet Size in Paddy Spraying
T. Kavya *
Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, College of Agricultural Engineering, University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur, Karnataka, India.
Sushilendra
Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, College of Agricultural Engineering, University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur, Karnataka, India.
Sunil Shirwal
Department of Farm Machinery and Power Engineering, College of Agricultural Engineering, University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur, Karnataka, India.
Vijayakumar Palled
Department of Renewable Energy Engineering, CAE, University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur, Karnataka, India.
A. G. Sreenivas
Department of Agricultural Entomology, CoA, University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur, Karnataka, India.
Ananda N
AICRP on Linseed, MARS, UAS, Raichur, Karnataka, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have emerged as promising technologies for agricultural applications, including pesticide spraying in paddy fields. Droplet size is a critical factor influencing the effectiveness and efficiency of pesticide application. This study investigated the impact of various spray parameters of UAV sprayers on droplet size during paddy spraying. The experimental setup involved a UAV equipped with different nozzle types (flat fan nozzle, hollow cone nozzle and spinning disc nozzle), operating at varying forward speeds (2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 m s-l) and spray heights (l, 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3 m above the crop canopy). The results demonstrated that among the three operational parameters, the type of nozzle had a significant effect on the droplet size, whereas the forward speed and height of the spray were not significantly different. A larger droplet size was obtained for the flat fan nozzle, followed by the hollow cone and spinning disc nozzles. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing UAV sprayer settings to achieve the desired droplet size distributions and improve pesticide application efficiency in paddy fields.
Keywords: UAV sprayer, paddy, type of nozzle, droplet size