Progress 10/23/18 to 04/13/20
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416): Objective 1: Optimize aerial spray technologies for on-target deposition and drift mitigation. Subobjective 1A: Characterize effects of spray systems and formulations on droplet size. Subobjective 1B: Enhance spray swath deposition and uniformity. Subobjective 1C: Develop criteria for efficient operation and selection of aerial spray systems. Objective 2: Develop geospatial data processing and analyses methods for crop condition assessment and pest management. Subobjective 2A: Develop variable rate application methods for plant growth regulators (PGRs) and defoliants based on physiological conditions. Subobjective 2B: Develop precision aerial application methods for fertilization and disease control based on biotic conditions. Approach (from AD-416): Utilizing engineering and biological principles, laboratory and field studies will be conducted to evaluate the effects of various aerial application parameters, such as spray formulation and droplet size, on aerial application efficiency and biological efficacy. Efforts will focus on the integration of laboratory spray droplet measurements and remote sensing systems to maximize the efficacy of crop production materials while minimizing any off-target impact from these sprays. Plant health and species differences will be determined from remotely sensed data and used to make spray application decisions related to spatial locations and dosages. This project will develop and implement new and improved aerial application technologies for safe, efficient, and sustainable crop production and protection. This is a bridging project which began October 23, 2018, replacing the expiring project 3091-22000-032-00D, �Aerial Application Technology for Sustainable Crop Production.� This project expired April 13, 2020, and was replaced by project 3091-22000-037-00D, �Improved Aerial Application Technologies for Precise and Effective Delivery of Crop Production Products�, which is continuing and expanding upon that work. Work completed during fiscal year 2020 under this project resulted in significant progress towards improving aerial application of crop production and protection materials in an environmentally safe and effective manner. New methods were developed that provide aerial applicators with quantitative measurements of spray material deposition patterns across the spray swath corresponding to a given application scenario, which allows for proper adjustment and placement of nozzles to maximize uniformity with manned and unmanned aerial spray systems (Objective 1). Further, an improved measurement method was developed to quantify variation in the volume of applied material and the spray droplet size deposited across multiple spray swaths and wind conditions to provide applicators operational guidance for improving uniformity from manned and unmanned aerial applications (Objective 1). Improved image acquisition systems for manned and unmanned aerial systems and analysis methods were developed to acquire remotely sensed data to generate high quality maps to identify crop pest issues and monitor crop health conditions (Objective 2). Improved methodologies were developed for using readily available and low-cost satellite imagery to guide effective, site- specific management of cotton root-rot and boll-weevil eradication through timely identification of volunteer, early growth cotton (Objective 2). Work under the successor project will continue to support and provide data to collaborative partners, including the National Cotton Council, Environmental Protection Agency, the National Agricultural Aviation Association, and agrochemical and application technology manufacturers, as well as provide content for numerous applicator educational and training resources. Accomplishments 01 Improved aerial spray swath analysis method. The proper selection, placement, and operation of spray nozzles across the boom is critical to maximizing the uniformity of deposition across the swath and maintaining optimum spacing between flight lines in the field to optimize efficiency of aerial application systems. Additionally, ensuring that spray deposition rate and droplet size across the area of application meet label requirements is critical to ensuring efficacy and minimizing off-target damage. ARS researchers at College Station, Texas, developed improved measurement methods and new analytical techniques to provide quantitative measures of spray rate and droplet size corresponding to changes in effective swath width and wind direction. Prior to this work, only a limited understanding of the impacts of cross-winds on deposition patterns from aerial spray systems was available. These methods are being used by professional, manned aerial applicators, as well as researchers studying unmanned aerial applications to assess and optimize application system configurations for improved operational efficiency while maintaining efficacy and mitigating non-target impacts. 02 Satellite imagery for discriminating co-existing crop disease and pests for precision agriculture. Successful monitoring and management of crop health and pests to guide efficient production and protection inputs requires high quality and timely remotely sensed data. ARS researchers at College Station, Texas, developed new methods that use Landsat-8 satellite imagery to detect the presence of, and damage from, powdery mildew and aphids in winter wheat to guide site-specific pest management. Integrating plant growth and other location specific environmental patterns into the analysis algorithms enhanced early detection and monitoring, and allowed for the development of prescription maps to guide management efforts. The methodology and results from this work are immediately applicable across a wide variety of crop pest types, allowing for improved efficiency through precision application of crop production and protection products. Adoption of the new methodology will result in reduced pesticide input while maintaining or improving overall pest management efficacy.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Fritz, B.K., Gill, M., Bretthauer, S. 2019. Examining aerial application swath pattern evaluations under in-wind and cross-wind conditions. Journal of ASTM International.
- Viera, B., Butts, T., Rodrigues, A., Schleier, J., Fritz, B.K., Kruger, G. 2020. Particle drift potential of glyphosate plus 2,4 D choline pre- mixture formulation in a low-speed wind tunnel. Weed Technology.
- Martin, D.E., Woldt, W., Latheef, M.A., Kruger, G. 2019. Effect of application height and ground speed on spray pattern and droplet spectra from remotely piloted aerial application systems. Drones. 3:83.
- Ma, H., Huang, W., Jing, Y., Yang, C., Han, L., Dong, Y., Ye, H., Shi, Y., Zheng, Q., Liu, L., Ruan, C. 2019. Integrating growth and environmental parameters to discriminate powdery mildew and aphid of winter wheat using bi-temporal Landsat-8 imagery. Remote Sensing. 11:846.
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Progress 10/01/18 to 09/30/19
Outputs
Progress Report Objectives (from AD-416): Objective 1: Optimize aerial spray technologies for on-target deposition and drift mitigation. Subobjective 1A: Characterize effects of spray systems and formulations on droplet size. Subobjective 1B: Enhance spray swath deposition and uniformity. Subobjective 1C: Develop criteria for efficient operation and selection of aerial spray systems. Objective 2: Develop geospatial data processing and analyses methods for crop condition assessment and pest management. Subobjective 2A: Develop variable rate application methods for plant growth regulators (PGRs) and defoliants based on physiological conditions. Subobjective 2B: Develop precision aerial application methods for fertilization and disease control based on biotic conditions. Approach (from AD-416): Utilizing engineering and biological principles, laboratory and field studies will be conducted to evaluate the effects of various aerial application parameters, such as spray formulation and droplet size, on aerial application efficiency and biological efficacy. Efforts will focus on the integration of laboratory spray droplet measurements and remote sensing systems to maximize the efficacy of crop production materials while minimizing any off-target impact from these sprays. Plant health and species differences will be determined from remotely sensed data and used to make spray application decisions related to spatial locations and dosages. This project will develop and implement new and improved aerial application technologies for safe, efficient, and sustainable crop production and protection. This is a bridging project implemented on October 23, 2018, to replace the expired project 3091-22000-032-00D. Work under this project will continue through on or about January 31, 2020, while the research plan for the next five years undergoes peer panel Office of Scientific Quality Review evaluation/approval. Work during FY 2019 resulted in significant progress towards improving aerial application of crop production and protection materials in an environmentally safe and effective manner. Existing spray droplet sizing models were further enhanced to incorporate per nozzle flowrate data allowing applicators to quickly determine the operational setup and physical number of nozzles needed to meet spray application rate and droplet size requirements as specified by pesticide labels (Objective 1). Working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and agrochemical industry partners, new methodologies and metrics were developed to assess the potential drift reduction benefit when using technologies designed to improve on-target delivery of applied products (Objective 1). Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative spray deposition measurement methods, variation in the volume per area and droplet size of spray deposited across the spray swath under multiple wind conditions was evaluated and used to provide applicators improved guidance for more uniform applications across a given field for both manned and unmanned application systems (Objective 1). Improved image acquisition systems and analysis methods were developed for use by aerial applicators to obtain remotely sensed images and generate high quality maps for identifying crop pest issues and monitoring crop health conditions (Objective 2). Improved methodologies for using readily available, low-cost satellite imagery were developed to guide effective site-specific management of cotton root-rot and boll-weevil eradication through timely identification of volunteer, early growth cotton (Objective 2). Work under this project continues to support and provide data to collaborating partners, including the National Cotton Council, the EPA, the National Agricultural Aviation Association and other agrochemical and application technology manufacturers. The project also provides support to and content for numerous applicator educational and training resources. Accomplishments 01 Aerial spray droplet size classification standard. Aerial applications of crop production and protection products require the applicator to select and operate the most appropriate spray nozzle and other application technologies required to meet agrochemical label requirements and site-specific environmental and geographical conditions. Specific to this is meeting the label specified droplet size, typically given as a relative droplet size classification. ARS scientists at College Station, Texas, developed a set of standard spray nozzles and operational pressures that cover the wide range of potential spray sizes, and that establish relative droplet size classification scheme boundaries. This classification method was developed into an international standard that was incorporated into the fixed-wing and helicopter droplet size models previously developed by this group. This new method and associated standard allows aerial applicators to select and operate the most appropriate nozzles that meet pesticide label requirements, optimize efficiency, and mitigate non-target impacts, thus resulting in more environmentally-sensitive aerial applications. 02 High resolution satellite imagery for precision agriculture. Successful monitoring and management of crop health and pests to guide efficient production and protection inputs requires high quality and timely remotely sensed data. ARS scientists at College Station, Texas, developed methods for using high resolution satellite imagery which was used to create site-specific pest management maps for guiding precision application of pest and disease control inputs. These methods were shown to be particularly beneficial in the detection and monitoring of cotton root rot with prescription maps generated to guide variable rate input of applicable disease control products. The methodology and results from this work are immediately applicable across a wide variety of crop pest types allowing for improved efficiency through precision application of crop production and protection products, reduced pesticide inputs, and maintenance or even enhancement of overall pest management efficacy.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Zhang, J., Wang, X., Yang, C., Jian, Z., He, D., Song, H. 2018. Image dehazing based on dark channel prior and brightness enhancement for agricultural remote sensing images from consumer-grade cameras. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture. 151:196-206.
- Zhao, B., Zhang, J., Yang, C., Zhou, G., Ding, Y., Yeyin, S., Zhang, D., Xie, J., Liao, Q. 2018. Rapeseed seedling stand counting and seeding performance evaluation at two early growth stages based on unmanned aerial vehicle imagery. Frontiers in Plant Science. 9:1362.
- Wu, M., Peng, D., Qin, Y., Niu, Z., Yang, C., Li, W., Hao, P., Zhang, C. 2018. An index of non-sampling error in area frame sampling based on remote sensing data. PeerJ. 6:e5824.
- Fritz, B.K., Hoffmann, W.C., Martin, D.E. 2018. Mass balance and swath displacement evaluations from agricultural application field trials. Journal of ASTM International. 1610:11-23.
- Fritz, B.K., Hoffmann, W.C. 2018. Establishing reference nozzles for classification of aerial application spray technologies. International Journal of Precision Agricultural Aviation (IJPAA). 1(1):10-14.
- Hoffmann, W.C., Fritz, B.K. 2018. Using laser diffraction to measure agricultural sprays: Common sources of error when making measurements. International Journal of Precision Agricultural Aviation (IJPAA). 1(1):15- 18.
- Wilde, S.C., Hoffmann, W.C., Fritz, B.K. 2018. Nonlinear derivation of spread factor due to viscous energy losses. Journal of ASTM International. 1610:53-60.
- Butts, T., Luck, J., Fritz, B.K., Hoffmann, W.C., Kruger, G. 2019. Evaluation of spray pattern uniformity using three unique analyses as impacted by nozzle, pressure, and pulse-width modulation duty cycle. Pest Management Science. 75(7):1875-1886.
- Souza, D., Vieira, B., Fritz, B.K., Hoffmann, W.C., Peterson, J., Kruger, G., Meinke, L. 2019. Western corn rootworm pyrethroid resistance confirmed by aerial application simulations of commercial insecticides. Scientific Reports.
- Teske, M., Thistle, H., Fritz, B.K. 2019. Modeling aerially applied sprays: An update to AGDISP model development. Transactions of the ASABE. 62(2):343-354.
- Butts, T., Butts, L., Luck, J., Fritz, B.K., Hoffmann, W.C., Kruger, G. 2018. Droplet size and nozzle tip pressure from a pulse width modulation sprayer. Biosystems Engineering. 178:52-69.
- Rinkevich Jr, F.D., Margotta, J.W., Pohkrel, V., Ottea, J.A., Healy, K.B., Walker, T.W., Vaeth, R.H., Aldridge, R.L., Fritz, B.K., Danka, R.G., Rinderer, T.E., Hoffmann, W.C., Linthicum, K. 2017. Limited impacts of truck-based ultra-low volume applications of mosquito adulticides on mortality in honey bees (Apis mellifera). Bulletin of Entomological Research. 107(6):724-733.
- Butts, T., Samples, C., Franca, L., Dodds, D., Reynolds, D., Adams, J., Zollinger, R., Howatt, K., Fritz, B.K., Hoffmann, W.C., Luck, J., Kruger, G. 2019. Droplet size impact on efficacy of a dicamba-plus-glyphosate mixture. Weed Technology. 33(1):66-74.
- Butts, T., Samples, C., Franca, L., Dodds, D., Reynolds, D., Adams, J., Zollinger, R., Howatt, K., Fritz, B.K., Hoffmann, W.C., Luck, J., Kruger, G. 2019. Optimum droplet size using a pulse-width modulation sprayer for applications of 2,4-D choline plus glyphosate. Agronomy Journal. 111(1) :1425-1432.
- Martin, D.E., Latheef, M.A., McCracken, A. 2018. Aerial application methods for increasing fungicide deposition on corn. International Journal of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. 3(4):92-102.
- Yang, C. 2018. High resolution satellite imaging sensors for precision agriculture. Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering. 5(4):393- 405.
- Butts, T., Samples, C., Franca, L., Dodds, D., Reynolds, D., Adams, J., Zollinger, R., Howatt, K., Fritz, B.K., Hoffmann, W.C., Luck, J., Kruger, G. 2018. Spray droplet size and carrier volume effect on dicamba and glufosinate efficacy. Pest Management Science. 74(9):2020-2029.
- Yang, C., Odvody, G., Thomasson, J., Isakeit, T., Minzenmayer, R., David, D., Nichols, R. 2018. Site-specific management of cotton root rot using airborne and high resolution satellite imagery and variable rate technology. Transactions of the ASABE. 61(3):849-858.
- Zhao, X., Zhang, J., Yang, C., Song, H., Yeyin, S., Xingen, Z., Zhang, D., Zhang, G. 2018. Registration for optical multimodal remote sensing images based on FAST detection, window selection and histogram specification. Remote Sensing. 10(5):1-21.
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