Automatic Fertilizer Application System for Commercial Agriculture

When you hear aboutautomatic fertilizer application systems, many people immediately imagine something like a factory conveyor belt - they pressed a button, and everything started pouring and falling on its own. But in reality, even the most advanced automation is faced with the fact that the soil at one end of the field may be different from the other, and data from sensors is sometimes delayed. At one time, we also thought that we would buy a ready-made solution and forget about the problems, but it turned out that without fine-tuning for specific crops and seasonal conditions, the system either undersupplies nutrients or overwaters, and this is a direct loss.

Why is automation not just “turn it on and forget it?”

For example, last season we tested a system based on a controller from Shandong Linyao Intelligent Agriculture Technology LLC - they just announced the integration of water and fertilizers. But at first we did not take into account that on windy days the dispensers operate with an error due to the pressure in the line. It was necessary to install additional stabilizers, otherwise the nitrogen fertilizers would be distributed unevenly. This is the case when theory diverges from practice: in the laboratory everything is perfect, but in the field nuances begin.

By the way, about the nuances: if the system does not take into account soil moisture in real time, then even accurate calculations of application rates may fail. We tried to connect external sensors, but we were faced with the fact that their calibration was “floating”. after the rains. As a result, some of the data had to be corrected manually, although according to the documents everything should have worked autonomously.

And one more thing - not all manufacturers openly say that their equipment requires regular washing of injectors. In our fields, we initially skipped this point, and after a month of work, the valves began to stick. Now we immediately stipulate maintenance in contracts with suppliers, and here the company from Shandong turned out to be more flexible - their engineers themselves came to the launch and showed how to clean the filters without stopping the system.

Equipment that really saves resources

If we talk aboutintegration of water and fertilizers, then it is not just the pump that is important, but the dosing accuracy. We compared several options and settled on a system with frequency regulation - it allows you to change the supply without sudden pressure surges. This is especially critical for drip irrigation, where changes can damage the tapes.

By the way, about drip irrigation: many people still think that automation is only for large areas. But we set up an experimental plot on 5 hectares with remote control of valves - and there the savings in fertilizers were almost 20% compared to manual application. The key was not the size, but the correct configuration of the zones.

Interesting: Shandong Linyao Intelligent Agriculture Technology LLC offers a modular system where you can separately purchase sensors or controllers. This is convenient if your budget is limited, but you want to gradually increase functionality. For example, we started with a basic kit and then added a module for analyzing the electrical conductivity of the solution - and this immediately reduced the risk of soil salinization.

Where automation fails - personal experience

The most unobvious thing is working in conditions of temperature changes. In autumn, when the nights are cold and the day is still warm, the system may make mistakes with the viscosity of fertilizers. We once experienced excessive consumption of phosphorus compounds precisely because of this - the automation did not have time to adjust the density of the solution.

Another problem is compatibility with existing infrastructure. For example, we had old containers for storing fertilizers, and when connecting to the new system, difficulties arose with synchronizing the levels. We had to install additional sensors, and this is an extra expense that was not originally planned.

And one more thing: not all crops react equally to automatic application. The system worked perfectly with grains, but with vegetables it was necessary to further adjust the intervals - for example, tomatoes required more frequent but smaller doses. This is where the customization capabilities from Shandong Lingyao come in handy; their software allows you to create separate profiles for different cultures.

Why it's important to consider local conditions

For example, in our region the water is often hard, and this affects the operation of the injectors. I had to order fine filters separately, although they were not included as standard. By the way, on the website https://www.lyzhihuinongye.ru there is a section with recommendations for selecting equipment for different types of water - we spotted an option with multi-stage filtration there.

Another local feature is seasonal power outages. It’s good that the system included backup batteries, otherwise everything would have stopped when the lights went out. This is especially important forcommercial agriculture, where downtime directly impacts profits.

And about the soil: the automation works well on flat fields, but we have areas with a slope, and there we had to additionally adjust the pressure in the lines. Engineers from Shandong Lingyao advised dividing such zones into separate sectors - and this really helped to avoid overspending on the lower tiers.

What is ultimately worth recommending?

To summarize, thenautomatic fertilizer application systemis not a panacea, but a tool that requires attention and adaptation. We now use it on 80% of the area, but in the most critical areas we have left the possibility of manual control - for example, when applying starting doses for seedlings.

Among the manufacturers, I can note that Shandong Linyao Intelligent Agriculture Technology LLC offers quite flexible solutions, especially if you order design for a specific farm. Their approach to integrating water and fertilizer does reduce risk, but requires input from local agronomists in the setup.

In the future we plan to add more sensors for real-time soil analysis - for now this is a weak point even in advanced systems. But automation has already made it possible to reduce labor costs and more accurately manage plant nutrition, and this is exactly what everything was started for.