Development of portable electrostatic nozzle for sugarcane pesticide application

Agriculture remains a critical sector in the Philippine economy, with sugarcane ranking fifth among the most cultivated crops. However, pest infestations significantly reduce crop yield and quality. Conventional pesticide application methods are labor-intensive, inefficient, and contribute to health and environmental risks due to excessive spraying. This study aims to design, development and evaluate the portable electrostatic nozzle designed to improve pesticide application efficiency in sugarcane farming. The prototype incorporates a high-voltage arc generator using a 5-stage Walton-Cockcroft voltage multiplier, producing 14.09 kV to electrostatically charge pesticide droplets from a conventional sprayer. Utilizing ImageJ software for data gathering, an independent t-test was employed to compare its performance with traditional sprayers. Results demonstrated a significant increase in droplet deposition, with "back" leaf surface coverage improving from 1.048% to 21.421%, and "front" coverage increasing by 13%. Overall spray efficiency improved from a range of 18.344% - 20.374% in the control group compared to 34.444% - 34.661% in the experimental group, resulting an average of 20% greater coverage of pesticide using the electrostatic nozzle. It consumed 11.397 watts of power and operated for 1.5 hours per charge using a 3.9Ah Li-ion battery. The electrostatic nozzle consistently outperformed the conventional sprayer. Further research should focus on optimizing the electric field distribution, incorporating protective battery circuitry, and conducting field validation under practical agricultural conditions. These findings support the potential of electrostatic spraying technology as a sustainable solution for improving pesticide application in crop production.