Portable Machine with Embedded System for Applying Granulated Fertilizers at Variable Rate

Igor Rodrigues Quintão, Domingos Sárvio Magalhães Valente, André Luiz de Freitas Coelho (), Daniel Marçal de Queiroz, Marconi Ribeiro Furtado Junior, Flora Maria de Melo Villar and Pedro Henrique de Moura Rodrigues
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Igor Rodrigues Quintão: Department of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, Brazil
Domingos Sárvio Magalhães Valente: Department of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, Brazil
André Luiz de Freitas Coelho: Department of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, Brazil
Daniel Marçal de Queiroz: Department of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, Brazil
Marconi Ribeiro Furtado Junior: Department of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, Brazil
Flora Maria de Melo Villar: Department of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, Brazil
Pedro Henrique de Moura Rodrigues: Department of Agricultural Engineering, Federal University of Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, MG, Brazil

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 4, 1-15

Abstract: Coffee production in mountainous regions faces significant challenges to mechanization, particularly in management and fertilization. Fertilizer application remains largely manual, reducing accuracy and failing to meet the demands of variable-rate application (VRA). This study developed a portable VRA fertilizer applicator with an embedded electronic control system. The innovation lies in its electrically driven metering mechanism integrated with an electronic control unit (ECU), enabling site-specific fertilization based on prescription maps or predefined rates while recording application coordinates. The mechanism was tested under laboratory and field conditions, evaluating its performance across four fertilizer types, varying inclination angles, and rotational speeds. Results showed a coefficient variation of 0.41% for doses above 24 g, demonstrating high consistency irrespective of fertilizer type or terrain slope. Field tests using potassium chloride (KCl) prescriptions (55, 123, and 185 g/plant; 220, 492, and 740 kg/ha) revealed minimal deviations, with the largest at 22.72 g and the smallest at 0.384 g. These findings demonstrate the applicator’s precision and efficiency, addressing the challenges of mountainous terrains. This system provides technological advancement for sustainable coffee production, enhancing resource optimization and supporting precision agriculture in challenging environments.

Keywords: precision agriculture; knapsack granule applicator; embedded system; site-specific management; mountain agriculture (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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