Workshop Evaluation of a Control System for Site Specific Row Crops Fertilizing Management (Case Study: Sugar Beet)

Document Type : Scientific - Research

Authors

1 1. Imam Khomeini Higher Education Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO)

2 2. Agricultural Education and Extension Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO)

3 Faculty member of Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization

10.22092/jsb.2025.366935.1369

Abstract

More than 40,000 tons of fertilizers are used annually in 117,000 hectares of sugar beet farms in Iran. Using fertilizers without field soil testing has caused problems such as increased pollution, increased cost and energy consumption, and reduced crops quantity and quality. Variability in the fertility of farms has made it possible to increase farms productivity with site specific crops management. One of the economic and practical ways to convert uniform fertilizing machines to variable rate types is to build and put control systems on them. It is necessary to evaluate the accuracy of the control system, before investigating its overall accuracy in the farm. Fertilizing error and delay time are two main components in determining the accuracy of the control system. Therefore, in this study, a control system was developed and installed on the machine and its accuracy was evaluated in the workshop. Fertilizing rate in the system was controlled by changing the position of the fertilizer distributor gate. The effect of the fertilizing rate (at intervals of 100, 150, 200 and 250 Kg.ha-1) and in the machine traveling speed (at three levels of 3.5, 5.75 and 8 Km.h-1) in two steps of decreasing and increasing of the fertilizing rate changes was evaluated on delay time system. The results showed a significant effect (p<0.01) of the amount and direction (decrease or increase) of the change in fertilizing rate and their mutual effect on the system delay time. Also, the effect of machine traveling speed (at three levels of 3.5, 5.75 and 8 Km.h-1) and fertilizing rate (at six levels of 80, 100, 150, 200, 250 and 350 Kg.ha-1) on fertilizing error of the system was evaluated. The test results showed that the effect of fertilizing rate on fertilizing error was significant (p<0.01). The average overall error of the fertilizing control system was determined as 8.01%.

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Journal of Sugar Beet
Volume 40, Issue 1
February 2025
Pages 93-108

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