Web services for non-target area assessment and economic benchmarking in precision spraying

Abstract This paper presents optimised web services for automatic assistance systems designed for precision pesticide application. By automating the planning, application, documentation and evaluation stages of the pesticide application process, the study seeks to ease the workload on farmers, supporting practical implementation of precision spraying workflows. Specifically, the study addresses two complementary developments: (1) the optimisation of the assistance system through enhancement of an existing geodata-based web service for improved identification of non-target areas, and (2) the development of an automated economic benchmarking web service that enables farmers to assess the economic performance of pesticide application strategies. Validation of the LiDAR-based component using 25 sample plots and 2,400 validation points yielded an overall accuracy of 93.5% and a Cohen’s kappa of 0.816, while the economic benchmarking service was technically validated using a simulated network of 44 test fields. Together, these developments provide a technical basis for improved environmental planning and structured economic assessment in precision spraying. This study presents the development and technical validation of two web services for precision spraying decision support. It does not yet evaluate long-term on-farm adoption effects under operational conditions.