Canopy Wide Semi-Auto Fertilizer Spreader Applicator for Durian

Abstract

Durian is a numerous time-harvested horticultural crop for over 10 years. The most important crop processing is a crop protection.  Now a day, lack of machinery and equipment used for horticultural crop protection, the fertilizer application for durian is commonly manual operated. The precision agricultural machinery is able to adopt in this process and it be able to reduce labor costs and input costs. The optimal amount of fertilizer application is the function of machinery. The prototype of semi-auto fertilizer applicator was designed for 27 hp tractor. It is suitable for apply in durian farm where the plant pattern is optimized for agricultural machinery working. The prototype of fertilizer applicator is controlled by microcontroller and the position of fertilizer applying is controlled by ultrasonic sensor which attached at the front of tractor. The fertilizer applicator unit works after microcontroller make an order; it start working from initial to the end of durian canopy. The average work capacity is 6.28 rai/hr, fuel consumption rate is 0.14 lite/rai and fertilizer rate is 12.6 kg/rai. The testing was done in 5 years old Durian tree farm at fertilizer spreader speed 300 rpm.  The break-even point is   450 rai/year. The return period is 4 years, annual working time 300 hrs.