New capabilities give specialty crop growers even more ways to increase their yields.
In 2018, the Smart Apply® Intelligent Spray Control System™ was brought to market by Smart Apply, Inc. This smart sprayer is driven by LiDAR technology, which goes beyond sensing the mere presence of trees by also sensing the density of each individual tree. The technology behind the smart sprayers has enabled farmers to more precisely control the application of chemicals over ultrasonic and conventional air blast sprayers.
In 2020, Smart Apply introduced advanced tree mapping and reporting, heat mapping, targeted spraying and additional documentation features to this state-of-the-art sprayer add-on kit for air blast sprayers.
Here’s how these new capabilities will benefit growers:
1. Live orchard or grove mapping.
Google map overlays allow operators to see their current location and path as they’re spraying. When spraying is complete, the operator can review the mapping to see exactly where the system was on or off. It’s even possible to zoom in on an individual tree and see how many ounces were applied to it. This allows operators to zero in on areas of the farm that require additional attention.
2. Reporting of gallons per acre, within a defined boundary.
Once the boundaries of an orchard, grove or vineyard are defined (by either driving or drawing them on the tablet), coverage reports can be generated by date range or operator. These reports will include: how many gallons per acre were used, weather data, and information on the chemicals applied. This report can be uploaded to the cloud and saved for future reference, eliminating the need for manual calculations when creating required government reports.
3. Tree reporting.
The system tablet will also generate specific reports on the trees in an orchard or grove within a specified boundary, including:
a. The number of trees
b. The average tree height
c. The average tree width
d. The average gallons applied per tree
This allows the operator to determine the location of all trees meeting a certain criteria. For
example, trees under three foot that might require additional fertilizing. Or, trees over a certain height that might need to be replanted. This data can also be uploaded to the cloud and is invaluable for historic comparisons of the growth rates of trees in various sectors.
4. Crop density heat maps.
Crop density heat maps enable the grower to identify possible plant or tree stress areas, including sectors that might need additional irrigation or fertilization to increase plant density. It also reveals the overall distribution of the total gallons used per acre within a boundary. With the ability to overlay and compare historic density heat maps, the grower has the ability to compare annual crop yields versus plant density, or compare yield per row versus density per row. This can be used to aid in the forecast of annual yields.
5. Ability to target spray (or not spray) marked areas.
This feature allows the operator to create boundaries, either by driving or drawing them on the tablet, to specify areas where only certain chemicals should be applied. Alternatively, the operator can choose to create a “no spray” area, and the Intelligent Sprayer will turn off the spray nozzles in this specified area. These spray boundaries can also be created based on previously stored tree reports and mapping, allowing the operator to monitor specific trees’ height, width, or density, as well as percentage increases over time.
6. John Deere Operations Center interface.
The Smart Apply Intelligent Spray Control System integrates with the John Deere Operation Center, so growers who use this platform can upload coverage maps and tree reports to their Field Analyzers. All these features will help growers who choose the Smart Apply system get increased visibility into their operations and guaranteed ROI.
About Smart Apply
Based in Indianapolis, Indiana, Smart Apply, Inc. manufactures the Smart Apply ® Intelligent Spray Control System™, the only density-based, intelligent spray system available on the market today. At Smart Apply, we’re committed to advancing farming technology that helps fruit and nut growers and nursery owners across the United States, and around the world, realize chemical cost savings. Additionally, the Smart Apply system improves sustainability through healthier trees and plants and results in cleaner, safer groundwater and greater overall yields. This easy-to-use, reliable system is based on years of USDA research and cutting-edge technology.
Learn more about the Smart Apply Intelligent Sprayer:
● Visit SmartApply.com to get more information and request a demo.
● Call: 317.222.4152 to talk to a Smart Apply expert today.
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If you’d like to partner with a company that’s revolutionizing agriculture spraying systems and get ahead of the curve, join the Smart Apply team today.