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Collaborative project: Smartphone based optical procedures for the characterization of individual components for the production of mineral bulk blend fertilizers and for the classification of spreading patterns to optimize machine settings for spinning disc spreaders – subproject 2 (OptiBlend)
Project
Project code: 2818103715
Contract period: 15.09.2016
- 30.06.2020
Budget: 165,160 Euro
Purpose of research: Experimental development
Keywords: environment and nature protection, precision farming, fertilization, nutrients, quality control, sustainability, sensor technology, digital world
Currently dry mixed mineral fertilisers are growing in popularity among German farmers. So far, however, there is no convincing procedure which ensures the selection of suitable mixing fertilisers and an optimal adjustment of centrifugal spreaders. For this purpose the R&D-project ‘OptiBlend’ has worked on the development of a smartphone app, which identifies the different fertiliser particles by using image analysis. This enables fertiliser blenders to select suitable fertiliser components even before mixing. Later on farmers can easily check the lateral distribution of the nutrients in the field and get a reliable setting instruction for their fertiliser spreader. Within different trials in a spreading hall and in field, more detailed knowledge about the spreading reaction of fertilisers in blends could be gathered. Furthermore, an optical recognition of the fertilisers under standardised conditions could be achieved. However, image analysis under practical conditions could not be realised because the internal software of smartphones processed the fertiliser images too much.
Section overview
Subjects
- Plant Nutrition
- Agricultural Engineering Plant Production
- Computer science