Abstract:

As-applied maps are generated by variable-rate technology (VRT) and are intended to reflect the applied amount of product across a field and serve as key data layers for fertilizer records. The objective of this study was to develop sensing technology to measure fertilizer mass flow on pneumatic application equipment. Machine vision and image processing techniques were implemented. The machine vision system consisted of a camera and strobe light plus a small container mounted around the tube used on pneumatic application equipment. The prototype sensor was lab tested to develop the proper synchronization of the camera shutter timing and strobe light for measuring individual fertilizer particles. Lab work was used to develop filtering techniques to minimize the effect of dust and noise. Lab results indicated good performance at application rates above 224 kg/ha. Field validation indicated that the sensing technology estimated fertilizer flow on a row-by-row basis and generated a high definition (HD) as-applied fertilizer maps.