DESIGN REFINEMENT AND EVALUATION OF DRONE MOUNTED SPRAYER FOR COTTON And PADDY

Abstract

newline Cotton and paddy are the prime crops of India where pesticides consumption is 50 per newlinecent and 18 per cent, respectively. The pesticide needs to be applied to panicular target areas newlineoccupied by insect pests. In this context; laboratory evaluation of drone mounted sprayer was newlinecarried out at various types of nozzle (flat fan nozzle, hollow cone nozzle and spinning disc newlinenozzle), forward speed (2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 m s-1 newline) and height of spray (1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3 m). A newlinecombination of forward speed at 2 m s-1 newline, height of spray at 1.5 m with flat fan nozzle and a newlinecombination of forward speed at 3 m s-1 newline, height of spray at 1.5 m with flat fan nozzle were newlineoptimized for pesticide application in Bt-cotton and paddy, respectively. Field evaluation of newlinedrone mounted sprayer was conducted over two consecutive years, from 2021-22 to 2022-23, newlineduring the kharif and summer season on Bt-cotton cultivar KCH-14K59 and paddy (RNR15048), respectively. An insecticide Dinotefuran 8% + Diafenthiuron 48% WG was applied newlineat dosages of 312.5, 469, 625 and 1250 g a.i. ha-1 with drone-mounted sprayer on Bt-cotton. newlineFor paddy flupyrimin 10% SC was applied at dosages of 75, 100, 125 and 200 g a.i. ha-1 with newlinedrone-mounted sprayer and compared with motorized power sprayer and knapsack sprayer newlinefor both Bt-cotton and paddy. The experimental results revealed that the average droplet size newlineand droplet density was found to be 386 µm and 39.58No. cm-2 newline, 388µm and 39.26 No. cm-2 newlinefor Bt-cotton and paddy, respectively. A dosage of 25% less than recommended dosage found newlineon par with 100% recommended dosage in controlling the insects. No phytotoxicity newlinesymptoms were observed at double the dose in both Bt-cotton and paddy. Spray drift of 8.23 newlineand 8.45% was observed at 3 m distance away from target area in Bt-cotton and paddy, newlinerespectively. The effective field capacity and application rate were found to be 1.43 ha h-1 newlineand 64.55 l ha-1 newlinefor Bt-cotton and 1.66 ha h-1 and 55.61 l ha-1 newlinefor paddy, respectively. newlineKeywords: Drone mounted sprayer, Forward speed, H