Introduction to weeding with FD20
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      1. FarmDroid Knowledge
      2. Weeding
      3. Introduction to weeding with FD20

      Optimal weeding: key parameters

      The weeding settings of the robot can be found in page 4.1.2.1 "Weeding Tool Settings - Basic".


      Optimal weeding can be achieved if all of the following 6 key parameters are met.

       

      • CONSISTENT POSITION OF THE PLANTS: This is the first and foremost parameter to have under control. A consistent position of the plants is achieved through an optimal field preparation and seeding setup of the robot.

      • DISTANCE BETWEEN THE PLANTS: the minimum seed distance to allow in-row weeding is 10 cm.

      • SIZE OF THE BUFFER ZONE: as a general rule of thumb, you should increase the buffer zone as the crop grows in size. However, you should keep in mind that increasing the buffer zone DECREASES the available space for the weeding arm to reach the in-row space.

        See the two examples below:

        In this case, there is plenty of space for the weeding arm to move in and out of the row:



        In this other case, the seeding distance is the same as the example above, but the buffer zone is very broad and therefore there is not much space for the weeding arm to move inside and outside of the row. In this case, if you are experiencing weeding errors, you might need to increase the speed of the weeding arm or slightly decrease the driving speed of the robot:




      • WEEDING ARM SWATH: The weeding arm swath is how much the weeding arm moves from the closed position (e.g. 0%) to the open position (e.g. 100%).
        A broader swath will require more time (tenths of seconds) to complete compared to a narrower swath. Therefore, as a rule of thumb, if you are increasing the swath of the weeding arm (for example increasing from 10-80% to 0-100% range) you should increase the speed of the weeding arm from the settings in page 4.1.2.1 "Weeding Tool Settings - Basic".

      • SPEED OF THE WEEDING ARM AND DRIVING SPEED OF THE ROBOT: these two parameters are linked to each other. They affect the operative capacity, as well as the weeding pattern.
          • Increasing the speed of the weeding arm: the weeding arm will open and close faster. This is suited for faster driving speed of the robot, or when you need to clean very close to the crop.
          • Increasing the driving speed of the robot: the robot will be able to cover more hectares, but at the same time it requires you to increase the speed of the weeding arm