The smart-apply intelligent spray control system has won the Davidson Prize, which was designed to celebrate breakthrough innovations in areas of agricultural, food and biological systems engineering.
Steve Booher, the company’s Founder & CEO stated “We are honored to have received these prestigious Ag Innovation awards, but more importantly is the positive impact the technology has on the environment, and up to 73 per cent in chemical savings for permanent and specialty crop growers around the world.”
The Smart-Apply Intelligent Spray Control System uses LIDAR to scan each plant or tree as it passes, creating a density map of the spray target; then algorithms calculate the exact amount of chemical needed. As the sprayer passes, each spray nozzle becomes its own variable rate sprayer, applying just the right amount of chemical per spray nozzle.
“We’re excited about the advancement of ag engineering and the positive impacts it continues to have on farmers’ ability to work more efficiently,” said Curt Blades, senior vice president of Agriculture for AEM. “These three products deliver on solutions that truly represent the spirit of J.B. Davidson and the innovative legacy of agriculture.”
The Davidson Prize is named for J.B. Davidson, the father of modern agricultural engineering. It gives a nod to the storied past of agricultural engineering and pays homage to those engineers, like J.B. Davidson, who aspire to find a better way. Winners were selected from the AE50 honorees, announced at the Agricultural Equipment Technology Conference earlier this month in Louisville.