IntelliFerti: intelligent fertigation equipment

Abstract

The current concept of sustainability is increasingly imperative in production systems, forcing producers to find viable alternatives to produce with social and environmental responsibility. Within this new scenario of modern agriculture, our project proposal (PIPE I) sought to embark on alternatives that would enable large-scale production, respecting the principles of sustainability. These alternatives concern the proper management of plant nutrition, as well as the application of water in the amount and time that plants need. All this management, proposing to be carried out in an automated way function of parameters previously collected and analyzed in real time for the decision making, thus avoiding, assumption as is commonly done. The whole project has proposed to develop equipment capable of injecting up to 6 fertilizers in a variable manner, with independent injections, controlled by onboard electronics, coordinated by a fertigation strategy that takes into account the conditions of the root zone, the microclimate of the Environment and the nutritional needs of the crop. In this first moment, the technical feasibility of the proposed product was observed, but there is a need to evaluate technically in the field all control parameters of the software and hardware, as well as its technical limitations of operation, as well as a refinement of the fertigation strategy. This phase II, it is proposed to consolidate the insertion of the product in the market, performing the improvements of the SISMON system embedded in the machine programming, reengineering the software and hardware, as well as research and development of fertirrigation management strategies, Making it amenable to automation through the development of an EC sensor for the root zone. With this, the proposed product - IntelliFerti - will complete the R4F portfolio and offer the market an efficient, robust fertigation solution adapted to the national market conditions. (AU)