A.T. (Ard) Nieuwenhuizen: “Automated detection and control of volunteer potato plants”

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13 Oct 2009 16:00
Unit: Wageningen University
Location: Aula, building 362, Gen. Foulkesweg 1, Wageningen
Organisation: Wageningen University
Promotor: prof.dr.ir. E.J. van Henten (Farm Technology)
Co Promotor: Dr.ir. J.W. Hofstee

 Volunteer potatoes are a major problem in crop rotations that include potato plants. These weed potato plants spread disease like Phytophthora infestans to neighbouring potato fields. This is unwanted, therefore adequate control of volunteer potato plants is required. Within this research we developed an automated detection and control system that is preferred over current manual control tactics. Machine vision with colour and near-infrared cameras was used for detection of volunteer potato plants within a sugar beet crop. An adaptive self-learning algorithm classified the vegetation. This detection was integrated with an innovative micro-sprayer that released gel droplets with a herbicide on the volunteer potato plants. The prototype machine was successfully shown to farmers and industry on a field demonstration. The machine detects and controls the weeds at square centimetre precision up to a speed of 3 km/h, with a success rate of 95%.
Title thesis: “Automated detection and control of volunteer potato plants”
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