Variable Rate Technology in Aerial Application

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Variable Rate Technology in Aerial Application

• A presentation for
• Ag-Pro Expo
• Atlanta, GA
• February, 2007

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VRT utilizes improvements in multiple technologies

• Aircraft
• GPS Swath Guidance
• Aerial imaging and Prescription Maps
• Dispersal System

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Air Tractor aircraft

• Leader in the industry
• Turbine-powered aircraft ranging from 400 to 800
  gallon capacity

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Air Tractor aircraft

• Highly productive
• Can efficiently treat a variety of field sizes,
  application rates, and ferry distances

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Spray Pattern / Drift Minimization

• Extensive research to design optimal boom and
  nozzle placement
• Excellent spray pattern aerodynamically clean
  fuselage reduces turbulence and drift potential

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GPS Swath Guidance

• Main players Satloc and Del Norte merged to
  form Hemisphere Air
• GPS adopted by majority of aerial applicators
• Flow control capability has been in place for
  past decade.
• Aerial VRT started 2003

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Satloc system
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Imaging / Prescription Maps

• In Time
• Digital Infrared Aerial Imagery
• Scout Map to Prescription Map in minutes
• John Deere Agri-Services
• Wilbur Ellis

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Imaging / Mapping Research

• USDA Agricultural Research Service conducting
  Remote Sensing Studies with an Air Tractor for
• Weed detection
• Detection of insect habitat
• Insect and disease damage
• Nutrient status
• Determining the onset of plant water stress using
  thermal imagery

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Digital Video Instrumentation
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Weed detectionOriginal image
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Weed detectionProcessed image
Red Johnson grass Yellow Spurge Green
Cotton Black Unclassified
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Dispersal Systems for VRT

• Engine-driven Hydraulic Spray System Kawak
  Aviation Technologies
• Controls flow rate by varying speed of pump
• Rate changes in milliseconds
• Zero-rate capable
• Cost app. 50,000
• Paired with AutoCal flow controller by Houma
  Avionics

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Installation on AT-402B
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Installation on AT-402B
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Installation on AT-402B
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Dispersal Systems (cont.)

• DC Powered Electric System
• Controls rate by an electric valve, such as
  Satloc Aerial Ace
• Rate changes are slower than with full hydraulic
  system
• Zero rates are controlled by a separate hydraulic
  shutoff valve
• Cost app. 27,000

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Nozzles for VRT

• Veri-rate by Spray Target
• Designed specifically for Variable Rate Aerial
  Application
• Keeps droplet size within proper spectrum
  regardless of pressure

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AE-50 Nozzle

• Pressure variation from 30 60 PSI
• Flow rate variation from 0.3 to 3.0 GPM
• Rate change response time is .25 seconds

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Advantages of Aerial VRT

• Accuracy USDA study (Smith Thomson, 2005)
• Flowrate error due to flow controller .77
• Flowrate error due to rate change timing 3.04
• Faster than ground application
• No crop damage from wheel tracks
• Cost savings from reduced chemicals
• Environmental benefit

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Accuracy of Aerial VRT
Prescription Map
Actual Applied
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Accuracy of Aerial VRT
Prescription Map
Actual Applied
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Variable Rate (VR) PGR/Insecticide/Boron
Application
Location Arkansas Delta Crop Cotton Field
Size 422.01 Acres Imagery Acquired July 5,
2004 VR Treatment Applied July 8,
2004 Chemical Cost of Variable Rate
Application 5.85/Acre Blanket application
equivalent to the 3 gpa rate 9.39/Acre. Cost
savings 3.54/acre
Scout Map
Prescription Map
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Insecticide Application
As Applied
Prescription Map
264.14 acres 1 gal 216.59 acres No Spray
47.54 acres 18 Chemical Savings
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Cost Savings of VRT
Scout Map
Prescription
As-Applied
917.74 Acres Pix on cotton Saved 5.06 /
Acre Versus 3 gal / Acre Blanket
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Applications Future Growth

• Aerial VRT being used in Texas, California and
  Mississippi Delta
• Applications
• Cotton Pix and Defoliation
• Rice Fertilizer and Insecticide
• Trees (fruit nut)
• Dry Application
• great interest still in early stages
• Mississippi State Univ. working to measure
  application rate
• Current Research for rapid, real-time imaging and
  conversion to prescription
• Map in one pass, Spray in second pass

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Thanks for your attention!

• For more information contact
• Kristin Edwards, VP Sales
• airmail_at_airtractor.com
• www.airtractor.com