Technical articles

Carbon cycle and GHG Climate resilience Precision agriculture

1. Presentation

Characterization of the technique

Description of the technique:

Fanny Vuillemin

INRA

fany.vuillemin(at)toulouse.inra.fr

Castanet-Tolosan (31)

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This technique consists of automatically shutting off the sprayer sections over areas already treated (or fertilized in the case of liquid fertilizer application). This function is useful in delicate areas (field edges, pylons, pointed fields, etc.). The automatic boom section control works thanks to GPS geolocation and recording of already treated zones. It is necessary to equip oneself with a sprayer with automatic section shut-offs and GPS guidance or autoguidance (with a suitable network) and to choose an overlap percentage. This system reduces spraying by 0.3 to 5%.

Example of implementation: A farmer in Haute-Garonne noticed that before section shut-offs, to treat an area of 10 ha, he had to apply a quantity of product corresponding to 10.3 ha. Since being equipped with a Maestria self-propelled sprayer (manufacturer: Matrot) with section shut-offs, he has returned to a quantity corresponding exactly to 10 ha.

Details on the technique:

Section shut-off can also be done manually but it is much less precise than when automated (misses).

Implementation period On established crops

Periods of phytosanitary treatment and/or nitrogen fertilization.

Spatial scale of implementation Field

Application of the technique to...

All crops: Easily generalizable

All soil types: Easily generalizable

All climatic contexts: Easily generalizable

Spraying for humidity above 40% and temperature below 25°C (except for some insecticides). Do not spray when it is windy or raining.

Regulation

POSITIVE influence

This equipment is eligible for PVE funding (investment aid).

PVE (Plant Environment Plan)

2. Services provided by the technique

3. Effects on the sustainability of the cropping system

"Environmental" criteria

Effect on air quality: Increasing

phytosanitary emissions: DECREASE

GHG emissions: DECREASE

Effect on water quality: Increasing

pesticides: DECREASE

Effect on fossil resource consumption: Decreasing

fossil energy consumption: DECREASE

Other: No effect (neutral)

Pollutant transfer to water (N, P, phytosanitary ...): Decrease

This system reduces sprayed quantities by 0.3 to 5%, and thus transfer risks.

Pollutant transfer to air (N, P, phytosanitary ...): Decrease

This system reduces sprayed quantities by 0.3 to 5%, and thus transfer risks.

Fossil energy consumption: Decrease

Applied to nitrogen fertilization, section shut-off slightly reduces the quantities of fertilizer spread, and thus the fossil energy consumption related to the manufacture of chemical fertilizers. The section shut-off itself has no effect on fuel consumption but often this equipment is accompanied by a guidance or system which saves about 2% fuel.

GHG emissions: Decrease

The section shut-off itself has no effect on fuel consumption but often this equipment is accompanied by a guidance or autoguidance system which reduces CO2 emissions. Applied to nitrogen fertilization, section shut-off slightly reduces the quantities of fertilizer spread, and thus N2O emissions related to chemical fertilizer spreading.

"Agronomic" criteria

Productivity: No effect (neutral)

However, for seed production, section shut-off limits the harmful effects of pesticide excess and thus improves yield.

Water stress: No effect (neutral)

Functional Biodiversity: No knowledge on impact

There is a reduction in active ingredient quantities so it is assumed biodiversity is less affected.

Other agronomic criteria: No effect (neutral)

Risk of lodging: Decrease

In the case of section shut-off applied to liquid fertilizer spraying, avoiding supplying twice as much nitrogen in the tips and wheel tracks (due to overlap) limits excessive crop growth in those areas and thus reduces the risk of lodging.

"Economic" criteria

Operating costs: Decreasing

Automation of section shut-offs reduces volumes spread (liquid fertilizer) or sprayed (phytosanitary products) by 0.3 to 5%, and thus proportional savings.

Mechanization costs: Increasing

The purchase price of the equipment ranges between €2,000 and €4,000.

Margin: No effect (neutral)

"Social" criteria

Working time: Decreasing

The reduction in mechanization time is felt in the reduction of overlap per pass (2%) linked to guidance or autoguidance often associated with section shut-offs.

Effect on farmer health: Increasing

Work comfort: Increasing

Guidance or autoguidance, often associated with section shut-offs, increase work comfort and allow the driver to better monitor operations as less attention is dedicated to driving.

Observation time: No knowledge on impact

Technical skill requirement: Increasing

4. Favored or disadvantaged organisms

Favored Pests

Organism	Impact of the technique	Type	Details

Disadvantaged pests

Organism	Impact of the technique	Type	Details

Favored Beneficials

Organism	Impact of the technique	Type	Details

Disadvantaged beneficials

Organism	Impact of the technique	Type	Details

Favored climatic and physiological accidents

Organism	Impact of the technique	Details

Disadvantaged climatic and physiological accidents

Organism	Impact of the technique	Details

5. To learn more

Choosing your satellite guidance system well
-FR cuma ouest

Technical brochure, 2008

link to brochure

Effects of weather conditions on spraying
-Jason Deveau - pesticide application technology specialist

Website, 2009

link to site

What if I opted for precision agriculture?
-Centre ALPA and Lorraine Regional Chamber of Agriculture

Technical brochure, 2011