A mobile agricultural application machine includes a controllable valve and nozzle through which a substance is applied to an agricultural field. The controllable valve is a piezo-actuated valve. An application control system generates valve control signals to control a piezo actuator on the piezo-actuated valve.

An agricultural distribution machine that includes a carrier vehicle with a distributor boom that is movable at least about a pivot axis is described. The machine also includes a controlling apparatus that generates a controlling force to move the distributor boom about the pivot axis. A first sensor apparatus detects an angular rate (ω) of the distributor boom. The control apparatus implements a first operating mode to hold the distributor boom in a currently set target rotational position in which disturbance torques acting on the distributor boom, resulting from movements of the carrier vehicle about the longitudinal axis, are compensated. In the first operating mode, the control apparatus is configured to regulate the angular rate (ω) detected by the first sensor apparatus as a controlled variable to a target value which has an absolute value of between zero and a threshold value (ω.sub.0).

This invention is a mobile water and chemical delivery system that allows for the injection of a chemical in the path of the water line under high pressure. The system allows for mobile agricultural workers to move large quantities of clean water between job sites to use to deliver agricultural chemicals inline without having to carry large quantities of chemicals into the field. The chemicals are injected between the mobile water tank and the hoses that take the water from the tank to the application site. The purity of the mobile water source remains constant even if there is a change in the chemical.

An agricultural sprayer includes a spray boom supported by a frame, a spraying system comprising a set of spray nozzles spaced along the spray boom, and a control system configured to control the spraying system to spray a liquid based on a target application to an agricultural field, generate a spray performance metric indicative of performance of the spraying system relative to the target application, and generate a control signal to control the agricultural sprayer based on the spray performance metric.

By using various feedback data on a sprayer system, such as engine speed, wheel speed, sensed temperatures and/or sensed pressures, an onboard logic controller can be used to fine tune parameters of the driveline system in an automatic calibration process. In one aspect, a controller can drive up engine speed and manipulate electrical current being sent to coils of propel pumps and/or wheel motors as current reaches a point where there is no more change in wheel speed as detected by the system, thereby achieving a. calibration setpoint. Additionally, during the automatic calibration process, the machine as a whole can be monitored with respect to several sensors, such as pressures, temperatures, and the like, so that if any parameter being monitored is out of a predetermined range, the calibration can be stopped and not set.

The present invention relates to method of spraying a field with a vehicle. The method comprises: moving a vehicle over a plant within a field and spraying the plant with a liquid spray. The liquid spray comprises at least one agrochemical active ingredient and at least one adjuvant. The at least one adjuvant is selected from the group comprising mono-and diesters of sulfosuccinate metal salts with branched or linear alcohols comprising 1-10 carbon atoms, organosilicone ethoxylates, ethoxylated diacetylene-diols with 1 to 6 EO and alcohol ethoxylates. The liquid spray is sprayed at a liquid spray rate such that the volume of liquid spray to be sprayed per area is less than 60 litres per hectare. The liquid spray is sprayed with a hydraulic nozzle and/or an atomising disc wherein, when the liquid spray is sprayed with a hydraulic nozzle the hydraulic nozzle is configured to spray droplets having a Volume Median Diameter (VMD) of at least 170 microns, and wherein, when the liquid spray is sprayed with an atomising disc the atomising disc is configured to spray droplets having a VMD of at least 120 microns.

A liquid spray boom for supporting a plurality of spray nozzle assemblies each having a compact design that enables transfer and storage of the spray boom with lesser tendency for damage. The spray nozzle assemblies each include a liquid inlet section and a pair of spray nozzle liquid supply and support legs extending from the liquid inlet section in forward transverse relation to the spray boom and at an acute angle to each other. A spray nozzle is removably mounted on each nozzle body liquid supply leg with a respective check valve disposed in rearward relation to the spray nozzle. The liquid inlet section, Y body, and supporting components for the spray nozzles and check valve are adapted for quick disconnect assembly and disassembly.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for spray management. It is described to provide (210) a processing unit with at least one image of a field and provide (220) the processing unit with historical details relating to spray application of a weed control liquid and/or a pest control liquid to the field. The processing unit analyses (230) the at least one image to determine at least one location within the field for activation of at least one weed control spray gun and/or activation of at least one pest control spray gun. The processing unit determines (240) a configuration of the at least one weed control spray gun for application at the at least one location and/or a configuration of the at least one pest control spray gun for application at the at least one location. The determination comprises utilization of the historical details. Information is out-put (250) that is useable to activate the at least one weed control spray gun and/or the at least one pest control spray gun at the at least one location.

A spray apparatus for a vehicle includes a processing unit with at least one image of an environment. The processing unit analyzes the at least one image to activate at least one chemical spray unit mounted on the vehicle. Air is blown by at least one air blower mounted on the vehicle into a first downward directed air flow with respect to the vehicle. Air is directed by at least one diverter mounted on the vehicle into a second downward directed air flow with respect to the vehicle. A chemical spray unit of the at least one chemical spray unit is positioned relative to one or more air blowers and is positioned relative to one or more air diverters such that ejected liquid chemical is at least partially entrained within the first downward directed air flow and is at least partially entrained within the second downward directed air flow.

A method for treating plants comprises estimating a growth state or maturity state of a plant based on a planting date, a current date and the crop type of the plant. A root zone estimator or data processor estimating a size, diameter or radius of a root zone of the plant based on the determined growth state or maturity state. The data processor adjusts a lateral offset of a distribution pattern of a crop input or nutrient from at least one nutrient knife based on the size, diameter or radius of the root zone and safety zone about the root zone, where the at least one nutrient knife tracks a path outside of or bounded by the root zone.