Abstract
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are widely used in modern agricultural management for aviation spraying. Many factors affect the droplet deposition during quadrotor UAV application. To explore the importance of these influencing factors on the droplet deposition effect, this article classified all the factors and determined the core influencing factors. An orthogonal experiment was then designed to explore the importance of each core influencing factor on the droplet deposition effect. The importance of three factors on the droplet deposition volume decreased in the following order: flight parameter (F = 518.688), droplet size (F = 123.813) and crop phenotype (F = 83.688); likewise, the importance of these factors on the droplet deposition uniformity decreased in the following order: flight parameter (F = 31.868), crop phenotype (F = 15.442) and droplet size (F = 9.105). The droplet deposition volume and droplet uniformity should both be considered to determine the optimal application scheme. The results also showed that the overall droplet deposition distribution trend was similar at each sample point on each collection line. Plant deformation with a larger area or deeper depth helped the droplets deposit onto the crop canopy.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Chen, S. D., Lan, Y. B., Li, J. Y., Zhou, Z. Y., Liu, A. M., & Mao, Y. D. (2017). Effect of wind field below unmanned helicopter on droplet deposition distribution of aerial spraying. International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, 10(3), 67–77. https://doi.org/10.3965/j.ijabe.20171003.3078
Creech, C. F., Henry, R. S., Fritz, B. K., & Kruger, G. R. (2015). Influence of herbicide active ingredient, nozzle type, orifice size, spray pressure, and carrier volume rate on spray droplet size characteristics. Weed Technology, 29(2), 298–310. https://doi.org/10.1614/WT-D-14-00049.1
Dorr, G. J., Hewitt, A. J., Adkins, S. W., Han, J., Zhang, H. C., & Noller, B. (2013). A comparison of initial spray characteristics produced by agricultural nozzles. Crop Protection, 53, 109–117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2013.06.017
Ferguson, J. C., Chechetto, R. G., Hewitt, A. J., Chauhan, B. S., Adkins, S. W., Kruger, G. R., et al. (2016). Assessing the deposition and canopy penetration of nozzles with different spray qualities in an oat (Avena satipa L.) canopy. Crop Protection, 81, 14–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2015.11.013
Foqué, D., & Nuyttens, D. (2011). Effect of air support and spray angle on coarse droplet sprays in IVY pot plants. Transactions of the ASABE, 54(2), 409–416. https://doi.org/10.13031/2013.29782
Guo, S., Li, J. Y., Yao, W. X., Zhan, Y. L., Li, Y. F., & Shi, Y. Y. (2019). Distribution characteristics on droplet deposition of wind field vortex formed by multirotor UAV. PLoS ONE, 14, e0220024. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0220024
Information Office of the MARA. (2019). Steady increase in fertilizer and pesticide utilization. Retrieved December 18, 2019 from http://www.moa.gov.cn/xw/zwdt/201912/t20191218_6333443.htm.
Li, J. Y., Guo, S., Yao, W. X., Zhan, Y. L., & Li, Y. F. (2019). Distribution characteristics of droplet size in rice field and wind tunnel simulation test under airflow operation. Transactions of the Chinese Society for Agricultural Machinery, 50(08), 148–156. https://doi.org/10.6041/j.issn.1000-1298.2019.08.017
Li, J. Y., Shi, Y. Y., Lan, Y. B., & Guo, S. (2019). Vertical distribution and vortex structure of rotor wind field under the influence of rice canopy. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 159, 140–146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2019.02.027
Liao, J., Zang, Y., Zhou, Z. Z., & Luo, X. W. (2015). Quality evaluation method and optimization of operating parameters in crop aerial spraying technology. Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering, 31(S2), 38–46. https://doi.org/10.11975/j.issn.1002-6819.2015.z2.006
Lou, Z. X., Xin, F., Han, X. Q., Lan, Y. B., Duan, T. Z., & Fu, W. (2018). Effect of unmanned aerial vehicle flight height on droplet distribution, drift and control of cotton aphids and spider mites. Agronomy, 8(9), 187. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy8090187
Martin, D. E., Woldt, W. E., & Latheef, M. A. (2019). Effect of application height and ground speed on spray pattern and droplet spectra from remotely piloted aerial application systems. Drones, 3, 83. https://doi.org/10.3390/drones3040083
Miller, P., & Ellis, M. (2000). Effects of formulation on spray nozzle performance for applications from ground-based boom sprayers. Crop Protection, 19(8–10), 609–615. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0261-2194(00)00080-6
Qin, W. C., Qiu, B. J., Xue, X. Y., Chen, C., Xu, Z. F., & Zhou, Q. Q. (2016). Droplet deposition and control effect of insecticides sprayed with an unmanned aerial vehicle against plant hoppers. Crop Protection, 85, 79–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2016.03.018
Smith, D. B., Askew, S. D., Morris, W. H., Shaw, D. R., & Boyette, M. (2000). Droplet size and leaf morphology effects on pesticide spray deposition. Transactions of the ASAE, 43(2), 255–259. https://doi.org/10.13031/2013.2700
Wang, C. L., He, X. K., Wang, X. N., Bonds, J., Herbst, A., Wang, Z. G., et al. (2016b). Testing method of spatial pesticide spraying deposition quality balance for unmanned aerial vehicle. Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering, 32(11), 54–61. https://doi.org/10.11975/j.issn.1002-6819.2016.11.008
Wang, C. L., He, X. K., Wang, X. N., Wang, Z. C., Wang, S. L., Li, L. L., et al. (2016a). Distribution characteristics of pesticide application droplets deposition of unmanned aerial vehicle based on testing method of spatial quality balance. Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering, 32(24), 89–97. https://doi.org/10.11975/j.issn.1002-6819.2016.24.012
Wang, X. N., He, X. K., Song, J. L., & Herbst, A. (2015). Effect of adjuvant types and concentration on spray drift potential of different nozzles. Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering, 31(22), 49–55. https://doi.org/10.11975/j.issn.1002-6819.2015.22.007
Xiao, L. P., Liu, M. H., Zhu, H. P., Cai, J. P., Lin, J. L., & Ou, M. X. (2018). Spray droplet size characteristics of different biological pesticides with different hydraulic nozzles. Transactions of the Chinese Society for Agricultural Machinery, 49(2), 100–106. https://doi.org/10.6041/j.issn.1000-1298.2018.02.013
Xue, X. Y., Tu, K., Qin, W. C., Lan, Y. B., & Zhang, H. H. (2014). Drift and deposition of ultra-low altitude and low volume application in paddy field. International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, 7(4), 23–28. https://doi.org/10.3965/j.ijabe.20140704.003
Yao, W. X., Lan, Y. B., Hoffmann, W. C., Guo, S., Chen, S. D., Wen, S., et al. (2019a). Atomization characteristics of multi-type aerial nozzles in wind tunnel and low airflow velocity condition in manned agricultural helicopter. International Journal of Precision Agricultural Aviation, 2(1), 9–17. https://doi.org/10.33440/j.ijpaa.20190201.0031
Yao, W. X., Lan, Y. B., Wang, J., Wen, S., Wang, G. B., & Chen, S. D. (2017). Droplet drift characteristics of aerial spraying of AS350B3e helicopter. Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering, 33(22), 75–83. https://doi.org/10.11975/j.issn.1002-6819.2017.22.010
Yao, W. X., Lan, Y. B., Wen, S., Zhang, H. H., Zhang, Y. L., Wang, J., et al. (2019b). Evaluation of droplet deposition and effect of Pariable-rate application by a manned helicopter with AG-NAV Guía system. International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, 12(1), 172–178. https://doi.org/10.25165/j.ijabe.20191201.4039
Zhang, S. C., Xue, X. Y., Qin, W. C., Sun, Z., Ding, S. M., & Zhou, L. X. (2015). Simulation and experimental verification of aerial spraying drift on N-3 unmanned spraying helicopter. Transactions of the Chinese Society of Agricultural Engineering, 31(3), 87–93. https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1002-6819.2015.03.012
Acknowledgements
This study is supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (31771682), Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangdong Province (2018A050506073), and the 111 Project (D18019). Special thanks to the Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, to Mr. Yilong Zhan for helping with the field experiment.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Guo, S., Li, J., Yao, W. et al. Optimization of the factors affecting droplet deposition in rice fields by rotary unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Precision Agric 22, 1918–1935 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11119-021-09818-7
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11119-021-09818-7