What are the advantages of the CDA technology of ABZ Innovation agricultural drones?

Drone technology is rapidly entering Bulgarian agriculture, and just a month ago a new legal framework came into force that regulates the use of drones for applying plant protection products. We all know what huge advantages drones have over ground-based equipment in agricultural processes:

• Greater independence from weather conditions - possibility of spraying soon after rain;
• Possibility of treating crops at an advanced stage of development;
• No contact with the ground - no tractor tracks - no damage to the crop;
• Effortless work in hard-to-reach terrain;
• Environmentally friendly - they do not use fuel and do not emit harmful emissions;
• The agricultural drone market is becoming increasingly saturated and various manufacturers, mainly Chinese, are appearing on it, offering a variety of solutions. After careful and thorough research, we at Bulagro, driven by our desire to offer you the most innovative, high-quality and cost-effective solution, have chosen to partner with a European company - a pioneer in drone technology - ABZ Innovation. We are happy that the Bulgarian farmer will have access to safe and easy-to-use drone technology at a reasonable price, along with continuous service support and fast supply of spare parts from a warehouse in Europe.

In the following lines, we will look at the spraying concept that underlies ABZ Innovation agricultural drones. This is the CDA (Controlled Droplet Application) technology, or "Controlled Droplet Size".

Standard ground sprayers use a high-pressure system that directs the solution through the nozzles. The result is drops with a wide range of sizes. Some of them are too small (between 20 and 60 microns) and do not even reach the plants, but evaporate, leading to unnecessary pollution of the environment. Others are too large (around and above 300 microns) and fail to remain on the leaves, but go directly into the soil. This again leads to unnecessary pollution. As a result, only about 50% of the plant protection products that are filled in the tanks of our sprayers reach their intended target.

ABZ Innovation drones work with a fundamentally different spraying technology (CDA). The technology itself is not a recent discovery, it is 50 years old, but it is not so easy to apply. It uses low pressure to direct water to a specially designed, rapidly rotating disk. Thanks to centrifugal force, the water breaks into even drops from the edge of the rotating disk. By adjusting the rotation speed of the disk, we can precisely set the desired droplet size, relative to the treatment target, with a deviation of only +/- 5%. This system provides the perfect droplet size, but it has one major drawback, which is why it is not so widely used. It directs the drops to the side of the rotating disk, and not down to the crop. That is why it is necessary to add a second element - precise direction of the air flow downward, and not to the side. The specially designed blades of the ABZ Innovation drones do exactly that - create a powerful air flow that carries the drops like an umbrella and directs them exactly where they belong - on the plants. This also ensures their even distribution on the foliage.

THE CDA SYSTEM HAS A NUMBER OF ADVANTAGES:

• Better coverage of the plant, thanks to the strong air flow and CDA technology;
• No need for pressure - it is maintenance-free;
• Precise drop size adjustment with a deviation of up to 5% - no loss of pesticides;
• Suitable for organic farming;
• Up to 95% less water used;
• Up to 60% less plant protection products used;
• Higher yield and lower costs.
• ABZ l-30 sistema za pryskane

RESULTS OF RESEARCH - WHAT DO WE OBSERVE IN PRACTICE?

1. SPRAYING ORGANICALLY GROWING VINEYARDS IN TOKAY, HUNGARY WITH COPPER AND SULPHUR PRODUCTS:

Compared to a mounted sprayer, spraying with an ABZ Innovation drone at a rate of 6 l/ha, the following results were reported:

• 50% lower operating costs
• 54% less plant protection products used
• 90% less water used
• 82% less CO2 emissions

2. STUDY RESULTS - WEED TREATMENT IN CORN

Compared to a conventional mounted sprayer, spraying with an ABZ Innovation drone resulted in the following results:

• 96% less water used
• 50% less plant protection products used
• 40% lower operating costs