Development of technology for on-line and in-situ testing of the degree of pesticide wash-off from leaves and fruit of fruit trees allowing reduction of plant protection products

The first of the project's ongoing goals is to determine the suitability of directly measuring the fluorescence characteristic of active substances contained in pesticides. This type of research will be adequate for the registration of pesticides that exhibit the phenomenon of fluorescence (such as Kaptan).

The project's consequence is the development of a fast, low-cost and easy-to-use tool for on-line and in-situ monitoring of the concentration level of an active substance on a plant under field conditions. To build a device that will allow quantitative and qualitative detection of pesticides on foxgloves and apple fruit in the orchard. 

One of the steps of the project is to optimize the parameters and process of indirect detection of selected pesticides using turn-off fluorescent sensors. Not all active ingredients in pesticides exhibit fluorescence, so to enable on-line measurement of the fluorescence signal for these types of pesticides, it is proposed to use an indirect tool for their detection.

The project aims to automate the measurement of pesticide deposition by building a robotic arm on which a previously constructed device will be mounted. This arm, placed on either a tractor or an orchard platform, will automatically bring the detector closer to the leaves and fruit to take measurements. 

The development of a fast, inexpensive and easy-to-use tool for on-line and in-situ monitoring of the concentration level of an active ingredient on a plant under field conditions will supplement the knowledge of the orchardist with an essential, currently missing piece of information necessary for the correct and effective execution of treatments. The ability to quickly check the extent to which pesticides have been washed off after rainfall will allow a more informed selection of the crop protection products and their doses needed at any given time.

Project activities

• Stage 1 - Optimization of pesticide detection parameters using UV-Vis-NIR spectroscopy.
• Stage 2 - Construction and optimization of a device for testing the presence of pesticides on leaves and fruits of domestic apple trees under on-line and in-situ test conditions.
• Stage 3 - Optimization of parameters and process for indirect detection of selected pesticides using turn-off fluorescent sensors.
• Stage 4 - Construction and optimization of a robotic arm that allows automatic measurement of pesticides on leaves and fruits of domestic apple trees.

The main benefits of the project

Do spodziewanych, konkretnych efektów działań podejmowanych w ramach operacji należy:

• opracowanie technologii dedykowanej do upraw plantacji sadowniczych jabłoni – w tym celu zostanie opracowane nowe inteligentne urządzenie do monitorowania on-line oraz in-situ  (na plantacji sadowniczej w terenie) stopnia zmycia środków ochrony roślin w sezonie,
• poprawienie jakość owoców jabłoni poprzez znaczną redukcję środków ochrony roślin w trakcie cyklu wzrostu owoców,
• jako bezpośrednie efekty działań spodziewane są także publikacje naukowe promujące uzyskane rezultaty projektu (1 publikacja na rok, w trakcie trwania projektu minimum 2 publikacje naukowe w czasopismach z tzw. listy filadelfijskiej),
• dodatkowo zostaną udostępniane w publikacjach branżowych i mediach społecznościowych rezultaty realizacji niniejszego projektu,
• powstanie także strona internetowa, która będzie miejsce promocji rezultatów projektu.                                                          

Dodatkowo warto dodać, że potencjalny obszar oddziaływania wykracza poza terytorium RP. Samo proponowane w badaniach zastosowanie urządzenia w produkcji jabłek potencjalnie będzie miało zastosowanie we wszystkich krajach, w których produkowane są jabłka.

W EU do największych producentów jabłek poza Polską należą Włochy i Francja, w skali światowej Chiny, Stany Zjednoczone i Turcja. Sukces rezultatu potencjalnie otworzy jego twórcom wejście na rynki państw skupiających się na produkcji proekologicznej, czyli wszystkich Państw Unii Europejskiej, Stanów Zjednoczonych czy Kanady.

Spodziewanym rezultatem operacji będzie opracowanie nowego urządzenia (narzędzia pomiarowego dla sadowników) opartego na technologii spektroskopii UV/Vis/NIR oraz spektrofluorymetrii. Opracowanie niniejszego rozwiązania przyczyni się  poprawiającej jakość owoców jabłoni, która umożliwi znaczną redukcję środków ochrony roślin.

Practice summary

In modern apple cultivation, decisions on treatments with crop protection products are made based on data from measuring stations. They provide information on the characteristics of apple scab spore seeding and the amount of rainfall. Based on these data and knowledge of the washout parameters of fungicides, depending on the amount of rainfall, it is determined whether the plantation is protected against further rainfall, which is associated with another infection. It is often difficult to determine the wash-off of fungicides by rain since it depends not only on the amount of rainfall but also on its intensity and duration, among other factors. In situations where adequate protection is uncertain, preventive treatment is recommended. Through the use of technology combining UV/Vis/IR spectroscopy analysis with spectrofluorimetry, we gain the ability to conduct qualitative and quantitative determinations. The device we are proposing will thus make it possible to quickly and inexpensively determine how much fungicides are washed away by rain. This parameter will complement the data we have received from measuring stations. It will allow a more accurate determination of the degree of protection, thus eliminating pesticide treatments in situations where they are not needed. Reducing the use of pesticides is included in the European Green Deal strategy. In addition, reducing pesticide use increases the profitability of fruit production.

Additional comments

The operation will contribute to the first objective of the EIP for efficient and sustainable agriculture: supporting resource-efficient, economically viable, productive, competitive, low-carbon, and climate-friendly and resilient agricultural and forestry sectors moving towards agro-ecological production systems and harmoniously utilizing the primary natural resources on which agriculture and forestry depend, through the implementation of the project in question.

The operation planned for implementation, which aims to develop and implement technology for automated, low-cost and rapid measurement of the degree of pesticide wash-off on an apple plantation, will contribute to the elimination of unnecessary SOR treatments, thereby reducing the saturation of apple fruit with harmful plant protection products.