MANHATTAN, Kan. — Engineers at Kansas State University have developed new technology that could help farmers reduce chemical waste and improve the accuracy of crop spraying operations.
The research team created a camera-based system capable of measuring the movement of agricultural sprayer booms with an accuracy of approximately one inch, addressing a longstanding challenge in precision agriculture.
Modern agricultural sprayers can have booms stretching up to 125 feet across, allowing farmers to cover large areas quickly. However, when equipment travels over uneven terrain or makes turns, the booms can sway or bounce by as much as 10 feet, resulting in uneven chemical applications.
Led by doctoral student Aryan Singh Dalal and agricultural engineering professor Ajay Sharda, the research team developed a system that uses a camera and artificial intelligence to track boom movement in real time.
Researchers tested the technology during more than 20 field trials in corn and wheat, confirming its ability to measure movement accurately under actual farming conditions.
The technology could eventually allow sprayers to automatically adjust nozzle output, reposition boom sections or change operating speeds to compensate for movement, potentially reducing chemical costs and improving application efficiency.
The research has been published in the journal Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, and a related U.S. patent has been assigned jointly to Kansas State University and agricultural equipment manufacturer CNH Industrial America.
The technology is not yet commercially available, but researchers believe it could lead to significant improvements in precision agriculture.
