Disclosed are various examples for creating punched holes into a plastic mulch covering a top soil bed and precisely spraying herbicide for a limited time into each of the punched holes and on the top soil located directly below each of the punched holes in a plasticulture vegetable production operation.

Described herein are implements and applicators for placement of fluid applications with respect to agricultural plants of agricultural fields. In one embodiment, a fluid applicator for applying fluids to plants in rows in a field includes a base, at least one flexible or pivoting application member connected to the base and disposed to apply fluid to the plants, and a stabilizer associated with the at least one flexible or pivoting application member. The stabilizer can reduce movement of the application member to provide a more consistent fluid application to the plants.

The present invention is to provide a system, a method, and a program for adjusting the balance of an insect killer hung from a robot that are capable to adjust the position of the insect killer. The system for adjusting the balance of an insect killer 1 hung from a robot 10 moving by a propeller 410 through a support arm 100 adjusts the balance of the insect killer 200 so that the angle between the support arm 100 and the direction of gravitational force from the robot 10 has a predetermined value or more; and adds a weight 300 to an end of the same support arm 100 as the support arm 100 in the negative direction to an angle of the predetermined value and calculates the weight 300 to adjust the balance of the insect killer 200.

Described herein are implements and application units having a trench closer for closing a trench during applications with respect to agricultural plants of agricultural fields. In one embodiment, a trench closer for a fertilizer applicator includes a bar moved through a field transverse to a direction of travel, a fertilizer applicator connected to the bar for forming a trench in soil. The fertilizer applicator comprises a coulter, a knife, or a coulter and a knife, and a trench closer disposed behind the fertilizer applicator in the direction of travel and connected to the fertilizer applicator or the bar.

A boom for a sprayer vehicle includes a fluid-carrying medium; at least one nozzle fluidly coupled to the fluid-carrying medium; and at least one unmanned aerial vehicle tethered to the fluid-carrying medium. The at least one unmanned aerial vehicle includes a plurality of fans, and the nozzle is arranged to discharge material through a fan. Related methods and sprayer vehicles are also disclosed.

An agricultural sprayer arrangement includes a chassis, at least one ground engaging traction member carried by the chassis, a liquid tank carried by the chassis, a boom carried by the chassis, a fluid conduit associated with the boom that is fluidly connected to the liquid tank, a spray nozzle that is fluidly connected to the fluid conduit and includes a nozzle body, a differential pressure sensor with a first pressure sensor in the fluid conduit associated with the spray nozzle and a second pressure sensor in the nozzle body, and an electrical processing circuit coupled to the differential pressure sensor. The differential pressure sensor is configured to output a pressure difference signal and the electrical processing circuit is configured to report a blocked nozzle when the pressure difference signal is less than a predetermined threshold value.

A variable orifice spray valve including a valve body (42) having a spray discharge orifice (42A) formed therein. The spray valve further includes a liquid flow passage into the valve body, a deflector plate (45) in proximity to the spray discharge orifice (42A) onto which liquid discharged from the orifice is directed, a spray height adjuster (44) adjacent the orifice and movable relative to the deflector plate (45) into the liquid flow path from the orifice, and an adjustment mechanism (43) to adjust the position of the spray height adjuster (44) relative to the discharge orifice (42A).

The present invention provides a molluscicide application apparatus and process that disperses the molluscicide below the water's surface in a manner that minimizes air entrainment and ensures that the molluscicide solution settles at the targeted floor of the body of water, such as a river or lake bed where driessenid mussels are concentrated, and do not rise to the water's surface or disperse. The present invention also maintains a desired viscosity level, for example, 180 centistokes, at typical freshwater temperatures varying from 15 C. to 25 C. by adjusting the flow rate and/or nozzle orifice area of the molluscicide application.

A crop growth sensing apparatus and method supporting agricultural machinery variable-quantity fertilization, includes a shock-absorbing support, a shock-absorbing frame, and a cantilever beam. The shock-absorbing support is connected to an agricultural machinery vehicle frame. The cantilever beam is pivotally connected above a shock-absorbing spring of the shock-absorbing support. The cantilever beam, by means shock-absorbing springs mounted thereabove and thereunder, is pivotally connected to the shock-absorbing frame. The shock-absorbing frame is fixedly connected to a crop growth sensor. The crop growth sensing method employs an engine vibration model of the agricultural machinery and a vibration model for vehicle wheels and farmland road surface as excitations in analyzing vibrations of a crop growth multispectral sensor shock-absorbing apparatus to determine the number and mount positions of sensitive elements of the crop growth multispectral sensor. Also provided are a self-balancing apparatus and a self-balancing method for the crop growth multispectral sensor.

An agricultural sprayer including an ozone supply which is arranged to clean at least a portion of the sprayer after a spraying operation has been completed, by the supply of ozone to the residual spray liquid and to the interior of the sprayer plumbing. The ozone supply may be preceded by a rinsing or flushing of the sprayer plumbing using a rinse fluid, with the ozone injected to a circulating fluid in the sprayer plumbing. The sprayer may have an auxiliary liquid tank, such that residual spray liquid may be drained to the auxiliary tank to be cleaned using ozone. Such a cleaning operation can be performed at the same time as a further spraying operation, thereby providing for improved efficiency of operation of the sprayer.