Design and Experimental Evaluation of a Smart Intra-Row Weed Control System for Open-Field Cabbage

Addressing the challenges of complex structure, limited modularization capability, and insufficient responsiveness in traditional hydraulically driven inter-plant mechanical weeding equipment, this study designed and developed an electric swing-type opening and closing intra-row weeding control syst...

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Main Authors: Shenyu Zheng, Xueguan Zhao, Hao Fu, Haoran Tan, Changyuan Zhai, Liping Chen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Agronomy
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/1/112
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author Shenyu Zheng
Xueguan Zhao
Hao Fu
Haoran Tan
Changyuan Zhai
Liping Chen
author_facet Shenyu Zheng
Xueguan Zhao
Hao Fu
Haoran Tan
Changyuan Zhai
Liping Chen
author_sort Shenyu Zheng
collection DOAJ
description Addressing the challenges of complex structure, limited modularization capability, and insufficient responsiveness in traditional hydraulically driven inter-plant mechanical weeding equipment, this study designed and developed an electric swing-type opening and closing intra-row weeding control system. The system integrates deep learning technology for accurate identification and localization of cabbage, enabling precise control and dynamic obstacle avoidance for the weeding knives. The system’s performance was comprehensively evaluated through laboratory and field experiments. Laboratory experiments demonstrated that, under conditions of low speed and large plant spacing, the system achieved a weeding accuracy of 96.67%, with a minimum crop injury rate of 0.83%. However, as the operational speed increased, the weeding accuracy decreased while the crop injury rate increased. Two-way ANOVA results indicated that operational speed significantly affected both weeding accuracy and crop injury rate, whereas plant spacing had a significant effect on weeding accuracy but no significant effect on crop injury rate. Field experiment results further confirmed that the system maintained high weeding accuracy and crop protection under varying speed conditions. At a low speed of 0.1 m/s, the weeding accuracy was 96.00%, with a crop injury rate of 1.57%. However, as the speed increased to 0.5 m/s, the weeding accuracy dropped to 81.79%, while the crop injury rate rose to 5.49%. These experimental results verified the system’s adaptability and reliability in complex field environments, providing technical support for the adoption of intelligent mechanical weeding systems. Future research will focus on optimizing control algorithms and feedback mechanisms to enhance the system’s dynamic response capability and adaptability, thereby advancing the development of sustainable agriculture and precision field management.
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spelling doaj-art-8ed9fbb689a64e1fa3a1e86d6b50325b2025-01-24T13:16:46ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952025-01-0115111210.3390/agronomy15010112Design and Experimental Evaluation of a Smart Intra-Row Weed Control System for Open-Field CabbageShenyu Zheng0Xueguan Zhao1Hao Fu2Haoran Tan3Changyuan Zhai4Liping Chen5College of Agricultural Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, ChinaNational Engineering Research Center for Information Technology in Agriculture, Beijing 100097, ChinaIntelligent Equipment Research Center, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, ChinaIntelligent Equipment Research Center, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, ChinaCollege of Agricultural Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, ChinaCollege of Agricultural Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, ChinaAddressing the challenges of complex structure, limited modularization capability, and insufficient responsiveness in traditional hydraulically driven inter-plant mechanical weeding equipment, this study designed and developed an electric swing-type opening and closing intra-row weeding control system. The system integrates deep learning technology for accurate identification and localization of cabbage, enabling precise control and dynamic obstacle avoidance for the weeding knives. The system’s performance was comprehensively evaluated through laboratory and field experiments. Laboratory experiments demonstrated that, under conditions of low speed and large plant spacing, the system achieved a weeding accuracy of 96.67%, with a minimum crop injury rate of 0.83%. However, as the operational speed increased, the weeding accuracy decreased while the crop injury rate increased. Two-way ANOVA results indicated that operational speed significantly affected both weeding accuracy and crop injury rate, whereas plant spacing had a significant effect on weeding accuracy but no significant effect on crop injury rate. Field experiment results further confirmed that the system maintained high weeding accuracy and crop protection under varying speed conditions. At a low speed of 0.1 m/s, the weeding accuracy was 96.00%, with a crop injury rate of 1.57%. However, as the speed increased to 0.5 m/s, the weeding accuracy dropped to 81.79%, while the crop injury rate rose to 5.49%. These experimental results verified the system’s adaptability and reliability in complex field environments, providing technical support for the adoption of intelligent mechanical weeding systems. Future research will focus on optimizing control algorithms and feedback mechanisms to enhance the system’s dynamic response capability and adaptability, thereby advancing the development of sustainable agriculture and precision field management.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/1/112precision agricultureintra-row weedingcontrol systemcrop protectionrobotic weeding
spellingShingle Shenyu Zheng
Xueguan Zhao
Hao Fu
Haoran Tan
Changyuan Zhai
Liping Chen
Design and Experimental Evaluation of a Smart Intra-Row Weed Control System for Open-Field Cabbage
Agronomy
precision agriculture
intra-row weeding
control system
crop protection
robotic weeding
title Design and Experimental Evaluation of a Smart Intra-Row Weed Control System for Open-Field Cabbage
title_full Design and Experimental Evaluation of a Smart Intra-Row Weed Control System for Open-Field Cabbage
title_fullStr Design and Experimental Evaluation of a Smart Intra-Row Weed Control System for Open-Field Cabbage
title_full_unstemmed Design and Experimental Evaluation of a Smart Intra-Row Weed Control System for Open-Field Cabbage
title_short Design and Experimental Evaluation of a Smart Intra-Row Weed Control System for Open-Field Cabbage
title_sort design and experimental evaluation of a smart intra row weed control system for open field cabbage
topic precision agriculture
intra-row weeding
control system
crop protection
robotic weeding
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/1/112
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