This section presents the particularities of the GeoNave system concerning spraying implement for orchard, including its functionalities and the procedure for the equipment configuration.
License
Initially, in order that Orchard related features are available is required to have a *ISO 31O * (O = Orchard) license, so that the GeoNave display understand that it will be working with an orchard sprayer.
Functionalities
Essentially, all the features of traditional boom spraying are available in orchard spraying. However, there are fundamental differences between the two machine types.
The main particular features of orchard system are the followning:
- Single row implement;
- Multiple rows implement;
- Tree lines on the navigation screen;
- Ultrasonic sensors for sections shut-off;
- Implement configuration with multiple nozzle models;
- Standard nozzle model table + customizable models.
Single row and Multiple rows
In an orchard, the field is divided into tree rows and sprayer implements can cover a single row or even more than one row at the same time.
To edit the implement settings, access the spraying menu: Settings> Spraying, select the option Implement and press the confirm button 
.
Single Row
It is defined that a row has been covered when both sides of a tree were sprayed, a single row implement passes between two rows of trees and applies product to half of the tree on the right and half on the tree on the left, thus completing the row coverage.
The following images show an example of a single row sprayer to visualize how the application takes place.
The first option in the Implement parameter list regards setting implement type, Single Row or Multiple Rows.
Access the parameter Implement Type, press the edit button 
, select the option Single Row and press the confirm button to confirm the selection.
This type of implement can be operated with one, two or four sections. When selecting single row implement, in the Sections Number menu, only these three options will be displayed, as shown in the image below.
Select the implement sections number and press the confirm button to confirm the selection.
For the single row implement, the coverage percentage is fixed depending on the sections number. When selecting 1 section, coverage is 100%; for 2 sections, coverage of each section is 50%; and for 4 sections, each section covers 25% of the row.
In the Implement settings screen is also possible to configure the row width, the total nozzles number on the implement, the nozzles number of each section and the nozzle model used. This last option will be available on this screen only when one nozzle model is configured. This feature will be detailed further on.
The following example shows the configuration screen for a single row implement with a row width of 5 meters, 2 sections and 51 nozzles. To edit the number of nozzles in a section, go to the option Nozzles Section N, where N is the desired section number, and press the edit button .
Enter the desired number of nozzles for the section and press the confirm button to confirm the setting.
When only one nozzle model is configured, the GeoNave system will automatically fill the number of nozzles per section for all configured sections, but last section never will be editable by the user, as it is automatically filled in order to always use all nozzles configured in Nozzles Number. However, all previous sections can be edited, thus the value of the last section can be reduced or increased consequently.
Multiple rows
An implement that covers multiple rows is treated differently by the GeoNave system, because it can reach more trees in its extension. In addition, the spraying implement can have a larger number of sections, depending on its size.
An example of this type of sprayer is shown below.
The implement is capable of spraying more than one row of trees simultaneously, and each section can cover a different portion of the row according to the needs of each application.
To use an implement with multiple rows coverage, simply select the option Multiple Rows in the Implement type menu.
The Implement settings screen will be displayed as shown in the image below.
For multiple rows, the Sections Number menu can be configured to up to 9 sections.
Select the desired number of sections and press the confirm button to confirm the setting.
Now, in addition to the previous options, it is possible to choose the row width percentage that each section is able to cover.
When selecting one of the row coverage options, the menu below is displayed.
When selecting the percentage of the row width that the section will cover, the total width of the implement is recalculated.
In the single nozzle model setting, as in the single row case, the number of nozzles per section is calculated, and it is not possible to edit directly the number of nozzles in the last section.
Tree Rows
In the Orchard spraying operation is important to know the location of the trees being sprayed. In the navigation screen, white dashed lines represent the trees lines on the map.
In the following example, a 9-section multi-row implement is configured. The first image shows an example of straight guides.
The second features curved guides.
The same lines are generated for single row implement, both for straight and curved guides, as the examples below.
Straight lines:
Curved Lines:
Note that in the multiple row example, several trees lines appear, which are displayed according to the implement coverage capacity. For a single row there is only one tree line on each side of the implement.
This line model will be displayed whenever a orchard license is active.
Ultrasonic Sensors
In an orchard application is possible to configure ultrasonic sensors to shut-off corresponding sections when there are no trees. It is possible to configure up to 2 sensors, which must be connected to connectors labeled Sensor 3 and Sensor 4 on the sprayer implement cable.
The ultrasonic sensors option will only be displayed in the Sensors menu when there is an active orchard license in the GeoNave system.
To configure an ultrasonic sensor access the menu Settings> Spraying> Sensors.
The settings for ultrasonic sensors 1 and 2 will be available in the options list.
By default, initially both sensors are not configured. When opening any of the two editing screens, the Disabled option will be shown. Select one of the sensors and press the edit button , choosing one of the available port options (Sensor 3 or Sensor 4, depending on connection position on the cable, as mentioned earlier).
Choose an option and click the confirm button , the sensor will be automatically linked to the selected input.
After confirming the settings, the following screen will be displayed.
It is possible to configure whether the sensor will operate with normal or inverted logic, similarly to the Implement Sensor settings, and the sensor status is also shown, whether it is detecting an obstacle or not.
When configuring an ultrasonic sensor, the sensor setting screen gains another parameter line.
In the Section Control screen the user can configure which ultrasonic sensor will shut-off which section(s).
Upon entering this screen, the configured implement sections will be displayed.
For each sections is possible to link an ultrasonic sensor, as long as it has been previously configured.
The following screen is displayed when editing one of the sections.
As an example, the image below shows the available options when both ultrasonic sensors have been configured.
In order to obtain a more precise section shut-off and opening, it is required to configure the sensors distance from the GPS antenna, in the GeoNave display. This parameter allows the sections to be opened when the implement is passing through the tree and not when the sensor detects it.
To adjust this distance, configure at least one sensor, and go to the screen Settings> Work, select the option Ultrasonic Ses. Dist., and press the edit button to set the desired distance.
This parameter initially is set with a value of 0. When editing it, a positive value means that the sensors are in front of the GNSS antenna and a negative value behind, similarly to the Implement Distance.
The following are some considerations regarding ultrasonic sensor configurations.
- Imagine the situation in which 8 sections are configured for a given implement. An ultrasonic sensor (ultrasonic sensor 1 or 2) is configured for each section. If, for example, the user changes the number of sections to 4, sections 5 to 8 will automatically be reconfigured to no ultrasonic sensors pairing. Thus, if immediately after the user returns to the previous configuration of 8 sections, sections 5 to 8 will appear none, being required to reconfigure the sensors that should control those sections.
- A section that has not been linked to an ultrasonic sensor, even when a sensor is configured, will be controlled by the section buttons at the bottom of the navigation screen, or by automatically shut-off sections when overlapping a trail or leaving a boundary.
- The distance between the ultrasonic sensors and the GNSS antenna cannot be individually configured for each sensor, the two sensors must be aligned in relation to the machine longitudinal axis.
Configuration of Multiple Nozzle Models in the Implement
The Orchard module supports multiple nozzle models in the same section. There is a table with the models available for use, containing standard factory models and some slots for creating personalized nozzles, according to every need. Standard nozzle models can also be edited as needed.
To access this table, access the Settings> Spraying> Nozzles menu.
The nozzle models list currently configured will then be displayed.
After standard templates, empty slots for custom templates will be displayed.
When browsing the nozzle models, informations about their characteristics are displayed at the bottom of the screen. It is important to keep these values consistent with the actual nozzle nominal pressure and flow values informed by the manufacturer, as these are used for calculations during system operation. If incorrect values are used as reference for calculation, it will result in wrong information to the user.
In this list is not possible to select the nozzle model, just edit the existing models and create custom models.
When editing one of the nozzles via the button , a screen with the editable characteristics will be displayed.
To select a nozzle model to be used, go to the Settings> Spraying> Work menu and press the confirm button .
In the Work menu it is possible to edit the application rates, the number of nozzle models that will be used for the work and to select the nozzle models that will be used.
In the example below, a single nozzle model is configured.
The nozzle ISO-005 Purple is configured according to factory default.
When a single nozzle model is configured, it will be used for all nozzles on the implement, and the model can be selected from different menus. The first is shown above, the second is in the Nozzle Model item from the Settings> Spraying> Implement menu.
Clicking the edit button , the nozzles list will be displayed and the user can select one from the available models (positions of the list that are filled in as (EMPTY) cannot be selected).
When clicking on the nozzle model editing option on the work screen (3 figures above), the previous screen will be displayed for model selection.
There is also a third location where the user can select and edit the nozzle model – the Configuration Summary menu. Accessible through the Navigation> Build Field> Work menu.
Configuring a single nozzle model, when clicking on the edit button , the Work setup screen will be displayed.
Where, in addition to the nozzle model, also application rates can be changed, if necessary.
If multiple nozzle models are configured, the Work option from the navigation configuration summary screen will show the information Multiple Nozzles. In this situation, it will not be possible to edit the work on the Configuration Summary screen.
As an example of multiple nozzles configuration, 4 models will be used (the maximum allowed is 9 models), configured on the Work screen.
After confirming the parameter setting by pressing the confirm button , the Work screen will be presented as follows.
By default new nozzle models are initially not configured. The GeoNave display makes no suggestion of models, it is the user’s responsibility to perform this configuration.
Added nozzles must be configured so that they can be selected for the operation. Nozzles that are not assigned to a valid model cannot be used on the implement.
As an example, the nozzle models have been selected as follows.
The multiple nozzle sections configuration will be exemplified below for a simple row case. The procedure for multiple rows is identical, as are the functionalities.
After configuring models 1, 2, 3 and 4, the user must access the implement settings screen at Settings> Spraying> Implement. The screen will be displayed as follows.
For multiple nozzles configuration, due to the fact that there are different nozzle models, the nozzles number per section is not suggested because it is not possible to predict the quantity of each nozzle model used in each section. The user must enter each quantity manually, the Nozzles Number in red indicates that the total nozzles number configured in the implement is less than the nozzles number that the implement will have (the GeoNave display does not allow any extrapolation of this number). After all the nozzles have been correctly configured for the sections, the Nozzles Number parameter will be displayed in green.
When selecting one of the sections for editing via the button , the following screen will be displayed.
The number of items in this list will be higher or lower according to the configured number of nozzle models.
When you click on one of the nozzle models, the Value editing screen will be displayed to enter the nozzles number of this model that the section have (in the example, section1).
As an example, 5 nozzles of the ISO-005 Purple model have been configured.
The total nozzles number per section will be the sum of the nozzles number configured in each section. So if returning to the previous screen immediately after setting up the first nozzle model, it will be displayed that section 1 has 5 nozzles, and the Nozzles Number parameter is still red.
The remaining parameter of section 1 were completed as follow to conclude the example.
And for section 2 the following values were configured.
Note that one of the nozzle models was set with value 0. This configuration is possible, and the GeoNave display understands that there is no nozzle of that model in that section, allowing great flexibility for different applications.
When the setting is done correctly, the Nozzles Number parameter in the Implement settings screen will be displayed in green, indicating that the total number of nozzles configured is equal to the total nozzles number of the orchard implement.
Note: If nozzle models have not been assigned to all configured models, the screen for configuring the nozzle model numbers per section will be displayed as follows.
In this case, it will not be possible to edit a model whose value is configured as (EMPTY).
Note: When, for example, 5 nozzle models are configured and all of them are linked to an existing model. If after this configuration the user sets the number of models to 2, the models numbered 3 to 5 will be automatically reconfigured as (EMPTY) and if immediately after the user sets up 5 nozzle models again, the models numbered 3 to 5 will continue as (EMPTY), so that the models settings must be done again.
