Stavropol Researchers Seek to Optimize Crop Spraying With Agricultural UAVs
The research will help establish scientifically based guidelines for agricultural drone applications.
Researchers at Stavropol State Agrarian University are developing methods to improve crop spraying with agricultural UAVs. The main focus is determining the optimal size of spray droplets discharged from the UAVs’ tanks. For example, reducing droplet diameter from 300 to 150 micrometers produces eight times as many droplets from the same volume of liquid. This increases the potential number of contact points on plant surfaces. However, droplets that are too small are more susceptible to drift and can be carried away by air currents. Under certain conditions, larger droplets deposit on leaves more effectively.
The research is being conducted in both laboratory and field conditions. A laser particle analyzer is used to measure spray droplet size.
