Background on Appropriate Precision Farming for Enhancing the ...

equivalent to the required amount. MARDI studies have indicated that the fertilizer saving foreach plot is about 10 to 15 per cent. The saving is mostly due to the farmer’s field having lessshoot population as compared to reference crop data.4. The Development of Vision-Based Variable Rate ApplicatorCurrent mechanized chemical applications for weeds, pest and disease in many Asiancountries use either a knapsack or 4-wheel tractor mounted motorized blower. Usually a singleapplication rate is practiced. Effective use of agriculture chemical inputs requires the use ofvariable rate technology (VRT) whereby agricultural chemical inputs are variably appliedaccording to the site-specific requirements. Many commercial VRT applicators are large sizeand heavy. This creates many restrictions to the adaptation of these commercial VRT systemsunder the smaller and soft soil farm environments in many of the Asian countries.Firstly, a CCD camera-based system was successfully developed to apply variable rateagricultural inputs based on the information gathered and processed by the CCD camerasensor systems as the machine traverses the planting area.Spot application of chemical in paddy field is common and effective but labour intensive.Effective and efficient use of agriculture chemical inputs requires the use of variable rateapplication (VRA) whereby agricultural chemical inputs are variably applied according to sitespecificneeds. A map-based VRA can be tedious involving intensive field data collections anddata processing before it can be transferred for field application. The CCD camera sensorsystem can minimize these processes and is able to apply chemicals on the go near real time.Secondly, most commercial VRT applicators from the advance countries are heavy and largein size which is not suitable under many of the Asian soft and wet rice field conditions. Thedevelopment of an adapted 12 hp lightweight high clearance tractor fitted with a CCD camera,image processor, controller and solenoid valves for real time chemical application works wellmeeting the needs of users based on local conditions. With such technology now in hand,interest among farmers is growing especially as such systems can be applied with farmerssharing the cost of such technologies.For further modalities on the above technologies, please visit the MARDI website at:www.mardi.my/UNCSAM does not endorse commercial products or companies even though reference may be made to tradenames,trademarks or service names.This publication may be copied for non-commercial, educational purposes in its entirety with no changes.Requests to use any portion of the document (including text, graphics or photos) should be sent toinfo@unapcaem.org. Include exactly what is requested for use and how it will be used.8