Development of an autonomous vehicle for application of a non-chemical, alternative technology addressing disease and pest control

Gray mold and powdery mildew can account for as much as 80% of decay in strawberry productionand combined with arthropod pests have a significant impact on yield. Regular application ofpesticides is the traditional solution however increasing resistance regulations and a risingdemand for organic fruit production motivate a need for alternative non-chemical treatmentmethods. USDA ARS scientists developed a treatment methodology called PhylloLux which usesUV-C irradiation array followed by a four-hour dark period (US Patent Application No.2017/0274106 A1 submitted September 28 2017) to manage diseases and pests. Because UV-Cexposure can be harmful to humans and night treatments present scheduling challenges manuallyadministering PhylloLux is impractical. TRIC Robotics LLC has partnered with AFRS in aCRADA agreement (#58-8080-9-003) and seeks to automate the UV-C treatment process describedin PhylloLux for field and commercial applications. This Phase II project leverages and expandsupon Phase I innovations with the goal of achieving multirow dosing control which is necessaryfor commercial viability. We propose the development of an autonomous mobile platform that canappropriately dose plants with UV-C over multiple rows. Phase II accomplishes four primaryobjectives: 1) development of automatic boom adjustment capability 2) design and implementationof a multirow dosing controller 3) validation on a commercial farm 4) establishment of safetyprotocols and pest control claims. Ultimately the goal is to improve profitability of strawberryproduction by providing growers with a non-chemical service for sustainably controlling pathogensand arthropod pests.