project - EIP-AGRI Operational Group
Development of a Kit for the modification of Atomizers able to perform Treatments with Innovative Technology based on Variable and Optimized (KATTIVO)
Sviluppo di un Kit per la modifica di Atomizzatori in grado di eseguire Trattamenti con Tecnologia Innovativa a dose Variabile Ottimizzata (KATTIVO)
Objectives
Development and diffusion of a technological kit which, applied to traditional atomizers, allows the distribution of plant protection products at variable dose according to the volume of the canopy to be treated, allowing to reduce the wasting of water and the use of pesticides, in particular for vineyards located in hilly areas (like in Tuscany) where machines for the recovery of products have difficulty to transit due to excessive slopes.
Objectives
Sviluppo e diffusione di un kit tecnologico che, applicato agli atomizzatori tradizionali, permetta la distribuzione dell’agrofarmaco a dose variabile in funzione del volume della chioma da trattare, consentendo di ridurre gli sprechi idrici e l’uso dei fitofarmaci, in particolare per vigneti localizzati in zone collinari (come spesso accade in Toscana) dove le macchine a recupero di prodotto hanno difficoltà a transitare a causa delle condizioni orografiche di pendenza troppo accentuata.
Activities
The innovation promoted involves the following phases of calibration and adaptation of technologies to the needs of agricultural enterprises:
- Identification and description of the technologies and sensors to be used for real time measurements of the canopy volume
- Elaboration of an algorithm for the conversion of data detected in volume of spraying
- Identification of the types of atomizing machines on which applying the innovation
- Development of an atomizer upgrade kit
- Application of the treatments on the vineyards and evaluation of the results obtained
- Results dissemination
The kit will be tested in two different Tuscan model farms on two different types of atomizers
Activities
L’innovazione proposta prevede le seguenti fasi di calibrazione e adattamento delle tecnologie ai fabbisogni delle imprese agricole:
- individuazione e descrizione delle tecnologie e sensoristiche da utilizzare per i rilievi real time del volume della chioma
- elaborazione di un algoritmo per conversione del dato rilevato in volume di irrorazione
- identificazione tipologia di macchine atomizzatrici su cui applicare il kit
- sviluppo del kit per l’upgrade degli atomizzatori
- applicazione dei trattamenti sui vigneti e valutazione dei risultati ottenuti
- diffusione risultati
Il kit verrà testato in due diverse model farm su due tipologie di atomizzatori differenti
Contexte
The use of precision viticulture techniques has now become increasingly necessary in a production context that at the same time wants to save on agronomic management costs, increase the efficiency of the management itself and have an attention to issues of environmental sustainability. To achieve these objectives it is necessary to have "intelligent" machines that, thanks to specific sensors, know how to recognize the variations in the environment in which they operate and of technicians prepared to use these innovations. With these techniques it is possible in this field to modulate the field operations in such a way as to satisfy the specific needs of the plants in an environment, such as the vineyard, which presents, especially in the Tuscan viticultural reality, a high variability.
The correct and timely execution of phytosanitary treatments is essential to ensure the achievement of satisfactory production both in terms of quantity and quality. This activity represents an important item in the management costs of the vineyard and can have important impacts on the environment and the consumer; a technical solution must therefore be sought which, safeguarding the health of the grapes, also pays attention in a perspective of healthiness and limitation of waste in terms of resources (pesticides, fuels, water).
This problem is currently addressed through the use of so-called recovery machines which, however, have considerable limitations (due to reasons of weight and maneuverability) to use in hilly environments, typical of the Tuscan vineyard realities and, in part, of many other wine-producing areas
Project details
- Main funding source
- Rural development 2014-2020 for Operational Groups
- Rural Development Programme
- 2014IT06RDRP010 Italy - Rural Development Programme (Regional) - Toscana
Emplacement
- Main geographical location
- Firenze
- Other geographical location
- Siena
€ 331917.56
Total budget
Total contributions from EAFRD, national co-financing, additional national financing and other financing.
Ressources
1 Practice Abstracts
The Kattivo project involved the development and study of a kit that would allow the transformation of traditional sprayers into machines operating with the logic of the Variable Rate, or the adaptation in real time of the volume of mixture to be dispensed according to the dimensions of the canopies.
The sprayers chosen represent two different types of pneumatic machines: a classic trailed one operating on two rows and a straddle mounted on a self-propelled machine capable of treating 2 rows and two half rows at the same time. Both kits are composed of latest generation ultrasonic sensors, for the realtime measurement of the volumes of canopy to be treated, information that is translated into the volume of mixture to be sprayed thanks to a dedicated control unit and a group of specially mounted proportional valves and which is managed by the operator through a GPS monitor mounted on the tractor.
The results were positive in all respects though the season of field trials was not particularly predisposing to the onset of diseases and therefore it was not possible to find any symptoms even in the rest of the company vineyards. It was also possible to verify that in both company solutions, by carrying out treatments at fixed rate and VRT on surfaces of approximately 1ha each, during the season there is a moderate saving in expenditure on crop protection products, as well as a reduction in the consumption of diesel and water. This reveals a good general functioning of the prototypes and their future application to increase the sustainability of phytosanitary defence practices, especially in hilly areas where, given the particular orography, it is difficult to use recovery sprayers
Il progetto Kattivo ha riguardato la messa a punto e lo studio di un kit per la trasformazione di irroratrici tradizionali in macchine operanti in Rateo Variabile, ovvero l'adattamento in tempo reale del volume di miscela da erogare in funzione delle dimensioni rilevate delle chiome.
Le irroratrici sono due tipologie di macchine pneumatiche differenti: una trainata classica operante su due file e una scavallante montata su semovente in grado di trattare contemporaneamente 2 file e due mezze file. Entrambi i kit sono composti da dei sensori ad ultrasuoni di ultima generazione, per la misurazione in tempo reale dei volumi di chioma, informazione che viene tradotta in volume di miscela da irrorare grazie ad una centralina di controllo dedicata e ad un gruppo di elettrovalvole proporzionali appositamente montate e che viene gestita dall’operatore mediante un monitor GPS montato a bordo della macchina trattrice.
I risultati ottenuti sono stati positivi sotto tutti gli aspetti anche se l’unica stagione di prove in campo è risultata poco predisponente all’insorgere delle malattie e quindi non è stato possibile riscontrare alcun sintomo nemmeno nel resto dei vigneti aziendali.
È stato possibile verificare come, effettuando trattamenti a rateo fisso e VRT su superfici di circa 1ha cadauna, nel corso della stagione vi sia un discreto risparmio nella spesa in agrofarmaci, oltre ad una riduzione dei consumi di gasolio ed acqua. Ciò lascia trasparire un buon funzionamento generale dei prototipi e la loro futura applicazione per incrementare la sostenibilità delle pratiche di difesa fitosanitaria soprattutto nelle aree collinari in cui, data la particolare orografia, è difficoltoso avvalersi di atomizzatori a recupero.
Contacts
Project coordinator
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Cavallaro Luca
Project coordinator
Project partners
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Bellaccini Leonardo
Project partner
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Pirani Martina
Project partner
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Storchi Paolo
Project partner
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Vieri Marco
Project partner