The final session of the project IDT SPIN – Smart Precision Spraying Solution took place on July 20, in Alcobaça. The project was co-developed by INESC TEC, focusing on precision agriculture.
Close to 40 participants had the opportunity to attend several lectures on SPIN-related topics, and to join a presentation of the project’s main results. All partners involved showcased SPIN’s advances and demonstrated the project’s potential in terms of optimisation of spraying processes, contributing to a more sustainable use of resources. Filipe Santos, coordinator of the TEC4Agro-food initiative at INESC TEC, led the presentation “Sensing to support precision spraying”; he explained the economic and environmental advantages of using variable rate application systems in spraying machines. Filipe Santos mentioned that “during the tests of INESC TEC’s variable rate prototype, incorporated into a TOMIX sprayer prototype – demonstrated at the INIAV fruit growing station -, it was possible to observe an 80% reduction in the product applied, representing economic and environmental gains”.
Later in the morning, the attendees had the opportunity to witness the latest demonstration of the smart precision spraying machine that has been developed by the consortium; the tests took place at Quinta Nova – INIAV’s Innovation Hub (Alcobaça).
Despite the end of the project, those responsible for the development of the prototype stated that it is not yet completed, reaffirming their commitment to further improve this solution. “The goal is to introduce a smart precision sprayer into the agricultural sector in the near future, capable of promoting efficiency and sustainability in agricultural activities”, they said.
The SPIN project
One of the recurring actions in agriculture is the application of chemicals, usually through a sprayer coupled to a tractor; in these cases, losses can reach 80%. Moreover, inadequate applications by producers can also lead to contamination of soils, waters and atmosphere, excess waste in food products or higher energy consumption.
The SPIN project emerged to address these challenges, focusing on improving this equipment, and creating an innovative sprayer for tree-shrub crops, so that experts can adopt smarter and more sustainable precision agriculture processes.
INESC TEC, through the Centre for Robotics in Industry and Intelligent Systems (CRIIS), was a co-promoter of the project, together with five other partners: INIAV, Consulai, Tomix, Campotec and INEGI.
Over a period of two and a half years, INESC TEC benefited from close to €100K of funding within the scope of the PT2020 programme.
Photo credits: SPIN PROJECT
The researcher mentioned in this news piece is associated with INESC TEC.
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