June 2015Vol. 22No.

273-79 ScienceDirect
Journal of Northeast Agricultural University (English Edition) Available online at www.sciencedirect.com

Design and Experiment of Slave Computer Control System for

Applying Variable-rate Liquid Fertilizer

Zhang Ying-zi, Chen Hai-tao*, Hou Shou-yin, Ji Wen-yi, Ouyang Bin-lin, Dun Guo-qiang, and Zhang Ji-cheng

College of Engineering, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China

Abstract: In order to increase the applying rate of liquid fertilizer and reduce environmental pollution, a slave computer control
system for applying variable-rate liquid fertilizer was designed. The system used SMC as core processor and electrically controlled
pressure regulator as execution component. The characteristic equation of the system was obtained by using classical control theory.
Results indicated that the characteristic equation met the requirements of routh-criterion, which indicated the working process of the
system was stable. Performance of the slave computer was verified via bench tests. Results demonstrated that there was no significant
influence on the response from interclass error. The fertilization error was less than 0.9, and the fertilization accuracy was larger than
97%. The liquid fertilizer emitted by the fertilizing devices had no significant difference in uniformity, which met the demands of the
slave computer control system for applying variable-rate liquid fertilizer.
Key words: variable-rate fertilization, control system, mathematical model
CLC number: TP29 Document code: A Article ID: 1006-8104(2015)-02-0073-07

At present, variable-rate fertilization technology

Introduction
In order to have higher rate of food production, many
peasant households use fertilizers and pesticides
blindly, which can result in a series of problems, such
as a waste of resources and agricultural ecological
environment pollution (Shi et al., 2014; Wei et al.,
2013; Fan et al., 2014). It may make sense to agri-
cultural development in China, if studies are carried
out on how fertilizers can be used in a reasonable
way. Variable-rate fertilization is designed to divide
the whole plot into small operating units and fertilize
with different proportions of the fertilizers, based on
diversity of the soil fertility and crop growth (Liu
et al., 2012; Li et al., 2010).
is still in lab developing stage in China. Based on
practical needs and current technical levels, an in-
depth research on variable-rate fertilization control
system is conducted. The slave computer is action
execution component of the control system that
performs operations according to the operation
information from master computer via communication
module. A theoretical and experimental research was
conducted on the fertilization controller in the slave
computer control system.
Materials and Methods
Equipment and instrument
Fertilization controller manufactured by Northeast

Received 16 January 2015

Supported by the Science and Technology Research Project of the 12th Five-year Plan (2011BAD20B03-01)
Zhang Ying-zi (1989-), female, Master, engaged in the research of agricultural electrification and automation. E-mail:187460485 32@163.com
* Corresponding author. Chen Hai-tao, professor, supervisor of Ph. D student, engaged in the research of agricultural mechanization engineering. E-mail:
htchen@neau.edu.cn

IUUQ
QVCMJTIOFBVFEVDO
·74· Journal of Northeast Agricultural University (English Edition)
Agricultural University was used as control device;
electrically controlled pressure regulator with style
BC44BRL-24-03D was used as execution device;
three-phase asynchronous motor with style Y100L2-4
was used as output device of power; high pre-
ssure power fertilization pump with style 3WZ-70
produced by Shanghai Su Nong Pump, Inc. was
used as input device for liquid fertilizer; the pressure
transmitter with style TS-800-F produced by Shanghai
Meter Factory and flow meter with style 801 produced
by Puri Spray System, Inc. were used as feedback
device.
Test for uniformity of fertilization
The important performance index of the slave com-
puter control system was the uniformity of the ferti-
lization. The uniformity of fertilization was verified
by test. Working status of the engine was set to a fixed
condition. Internal system pressure was adjusted to
0.2 MPa. When the control system was stable, four
exits of liquid fertilizer were selected as testing points
for the uniformity test of the fertilization. The flux of
each exit was recorded for the same period of time by
using measuring glass. The experiment was repeated
Table 1 Test factors and data
Factor
Flow of
treatment
exit1 (mL)
1 15 096±14.43
Table 2 Analyses of variance
Source Sum of square df
Factor 44 491.67 3 14 830.56
Error 5 000 8 625
Total 49 491.67 11
Results of the precision of the fertilization experiments
are shown in Table 3 and results of ANOVA for precision
&NBJM
YVFCBPFOHMJTI!OFBVFEVDO
Vol. 22No. 22015
for three times.
Test for precision of fertilization
The important performance index of the slave
computer control system was the precision of the
fertilization. The precision of the fertilization was
verified by test. Working frequency of the converter
was set to 40 Hz. Internal system pressure was
adjusted to 0.2 MPa. Fertilization controller received
10 sets of target fertilizing amount data from master
PC and each set of real fertilizing amount data was
recorded. Contrasted the target fertilizing amount data
with real fertilizing amount data and then calculated
the precision of the fertilization.
Results
Results of the uniformity of the fertilization experi-
ments are shown in Table 1 and results of ANOVA for
uniformity of the fertilization experiments are shown
in Table 2. For the given significant level of 0.01, the
value of Prob>F less than 0.01 indicated that there was
no significant difference in the flow of the four exits of
the liquid fertilizer.
Response
Flow of Flow of Flow of
exit 2 (mL) exit 3 (mL) exit 4 (mL)
14 980±14.43 15 043±14.43 14 936±14.43
Mean square F value Prob>F
23.73 0.0002
of the fertilization experiments are shown in Table 4.
As shown in Table 3, fertilization accuracy could reach
Zhang Ying-zi et al. Design and Experiment of Slave Computer Control System for Applying Variable-rate Liquid Fertilizer ·75·
at least 97.00 %. The value of the minimum error was error had no significant influence on the response to
0.1, and the value of maximal error was 0.9. As shown fertilization accuracy. The results indicated that the
in Table 4, for the given significant level of 0.01, the hardware and software designs of the slave control
value of Prob>F less than 0.0001 indicated that interclass system were reasonable.

Table 3 Test factor and data

Fertilizing amount of setting (L • min-1) Fertilizing amount of real (L • min-1) Error (L • min-1) Precision (%)

10 9.9 0.1 99.00

15 14.6 0.4 98.33
20 19.7 0.3 98.50
25 24.5 0.5 98.00
30 29.2 0.8 97.00
35 34.7 0.3 99.14
40 39.2 0.8 98.00
45 44.1 0.9 98.00
50 49.3 0.7 98.60

Table 4 Analysis of variance

Source Sum of square df Mean square F value Prob>F

Factor A 1 741.01 9 348.2 244.21 <0.0001

Error 25.66 30 1.43
Total 1 766.67 39

liquid pressure from pressure transmitter was sent to

Discussion
Operation theory of system
The slave computer control system was consisted of ferti-
lization pump, fertilization controller, electric regulating
valve, pressure transmitter and flow meter (Fig. 1).
While working, power producer drove the fertiliza-
tion pump. The fertilization pump took out the liquid
fertilizer from fertilizer bins. Signal of the target
fertilization volume from master computer was sent to
the fertilization controller via serial communication.
The fertilization controller amplified the control signal,
smoothed the fluctuation, calculated and changed the
size of the output voltage and changed the aperture
of the valve port. The feedback signal of the vessel's
the fertilization controller in the form of the electrical
signal. The feedback signal of the vessel's liquid
flow from flow meter was sent to the fertilization
controller in the form of the electrical signal. It served
as the system's feedback correction segment to make
the control system as a closed loop. Therefore, the
controlled fertilizer volume could be changed according
to the target fertilizer volume and the error caused by
the disturbance could be corrected. The purpose of the
intelligent automatic fertilizer volume adjustment could
be achieved (Oliver et al., 2010; Wang et al., 2009;
Yang et al., 2006).
Fertilization controller was the core of the slave
computer control system. In this research, single chip
micyoco (SCM) with style STC12C5412AD produced

IUUQ
QVCMJTIOFBVFEVDO
·76· Journal of Northeast Agricultural University (English Edition)
by Atmel Co., Ltd. acted as the core of fertilization
controller and its upper frequency could reach 35 MHz.
SCM was equipped with serial peripheral interface (SPI),
analog digital (AD) and many other peripheral modules,
which greatly simplified design of periphery circuit.
SCM communicated with A/D transformer and D/A
transformer via SPI bus. The fertilization controller was
used for comparing feedback signals of liquid pressure
and flow and driving electric regulating valve (Camp
et al., 2000). Shift register chip 74HC595, digital-to-
Fertilization
bin
Power producer
Fertilization
pump
Control
signal
Fig. 1 Control system structure diagram
Fertilization data was transferred from parallel port of
mater PC to slave PC STC12C5412AD (SCM). Ferti-
lization controller transformed fertilization amount
from digital data to analog value via using D/A con-
verter. By amplifying the driving fertilization signal,
fertilization controller controlled the opening degree
of the electro-hydraulic proportional valve. The slave
computer control system controlled the flow of the
liquid fertilizer and achieved the goal of the variable
control of the fertilization. Feedback signal acquisition
module included flow meter and pressure transmitter.
This module transformed the flow and pressure change
into voltage change. Through the process of the signal
amplification and noise reduction, A/D converter
converted the analog signal into digital signal and sent
the signal back to SCM. SCM adjusted the opening
degree of the electrically controlled pressure regulating
valve according to the deviation between the calculated
&NBJM
YVFCBPFOHMJTI!OFBVFEVDO
Vol. 22No. 22015
analogue conversion chip DAC0832, operational
amplifier μA741 were used for constructing driven
circuit. Optoelectronic isolation chip TLP521 and Schmitt
trigger 74HC14 were used for constructing digital signal
regulator circuit (Zhu et al., 2007; Yang et al., 2006).
Operational amplifier OP07 and high-precision voltage
chip TL431 were used for constructing analog signal
regulator circuit, which collected and processed signal
from pressure sensor (Yang et al., 2001; Lin, et al., 2006;
Yang et al., 2004).
Electric
regulating Exit
valve
Flow meter
Fertilization
controller
Pressure
transmitter
target fertilization amount and the actual amount (Li,
2006).
System stability analysis
During the working process, flow meter was used for
detecting the flow of fertilizer pipe and determining
whether the flux reaches the value set by PC. If not,
this information was sent back to SCM. Incremental
proportion-integration-differentiation (PID) algorithm
was used for adjusting the control system to achieve the
goal of precise control effect of the fertilization (Guo,
2006). Electrically controlled pressure regulator was the
execution unit. From principle of the automatic control
system, the deviation equation was shown as the
following:
e(t)=uo(t)–u(t) (1)
In the equation above, t indicated working time of
slave computer control system; e(t) indicated deviation;
Zhang Ying-zi et al. Design and Experiment of Slave Computer Control System for Applying Variable-rate Liquid Fertilizer ·77·
uo(t) indicated the reference or target value, which was the samples; Δu(n) was the increment; e(n), e(n–1) and e(n–
preset fertilization amount; u(t) indicated sample, which 2) were the previous error, the first two errors and the first
was the actual fertilization amount in this case (Chen three errors, respectively. This control system had two
et al., 2011). PID controller deviation equation was kinds of working mode. Closed-loop was obtained in test
shown as the following: working mode (Wang et al., 2004), so as to determine
1 de(t) the critical stability oscillation cycle Tc=100 and critical
ea(t)=Kp ea(t)+ ∫e(t)dt+Kd (2)
Ki dt oscillation factor Kc=20. Evaluating expressions were
In the equation above, ea(t) was the deviation after shown as the followings:
correction; Kp was a proportionality factor; Ki was Kp=0.6Kc (6)
the integration time constant; Kd was the differential Kp Kp
Ki = = (7)
time constant. Control value ea(t) was actually linear Tn 0.5Tc
combination of proportion, integration and differentiation. Kd=KpTv=Kp0.12Td (8)
The slave computer control system was carried out by In the equations above, Td was the sampling period; Tn
electrically controlled pressure regulator. was the integration time; and Tv was the derivative time.
The slave computer control system mainly consisted We got that Kp equaled to 12, Ki equaled to 240, and Kd
of fertilization controller, electrically controlled pressure equaled to 0.144. Thus, the transfer function was shown
regulator and detection feedback components. As the as the following:
component of execution unit, electrically controlled 3.2s
G(s)= 2 (9)
pressure regulator had unique property and structure and 0.4s +3s+0.0125
played an important role (Li et al., 2009; Xu, 2009; Fan The output of the fertilization pump was fertilization
et al., 2014). Electrically controlled pressure regulator amount. The input of the fertilization pump was the
dynamic equation was shown as the following: speed of motor. The model could be regarded as a first-
Va(t)=Kaea(t) (3) order system and its transfer function was shown as the
In the equation above, Va(t) was the input voltage of following:
the amplifier circuit; Ka was the amplifier factor of the K1
G(s)= (10)
amplifier circuit. The Laplace transform of equation Ts+1
(2) was combined with equation (3). We could get the In the equation above, K1 was the gain of fertilizer; and
transfer function of the electrically controlled pressure T was the time constant. The input form of fertilization
regulator as the following: pump was step function. The equation was shown as the
E(s) 1 following:
G(s)= = (4)
Va(s) 1 K
KpKd 1+ Kds N(s)= (11)
Kis s
In the equation above, Va(s) was the form of Laplace In the equation above, N(s) was the Laplace complex
transform after transformed by Va(t). This system used variable form corresponding to n(t). The fertilization
the incremental PID algorithm (Wang et al., 2008). amount equation was shown as the following:
Electrically controlled pressure regulator was controlled K1 K
Q(s)= (12)
by Δu(n). n was the sample number. n=0, 1, 2, Ă (Zhang Ts+1 s
et al., 2003). We got difference equation shown as the In the equation above, Q(s) was Laplace complex
following: variable form corresponding to q(t). Equation (13) was
Δu(n)=u(n)–u(n–1)=Kp(1+Ki+Kd)e(n)–Kp(1+2Kd)e the inverse Laplace transform corresponding to equation
(n–1)KpKde(n–2) (5) (12). We obtained the relationship between fertilization
In the equation above, n was the maximum number of amount and time.

IUUQ
QVCMJTIOFBVFEVDO
·78· Journal of Northeast Agricultural University (English Edition) Vol. 22No. 22015

–1
T
q(t)=250K1 1–Te (13) References
In the equation above, q(t) was the time domain form Camp C R, Sadler E J, Evans D E, et al. 2000. Variable-rate digitally

of fertilization amount. When the fertilization pump controlled metering device. Transactions of the ASAE, 16(1): 39-44.

worked stably, K indicated electric rotating speed and Chen S F, Li Z L, Shentu L F. 2011. Design and experimental research

equaled to 250. In order to obtain the time constant T of hydraulic variable-rate fertilization system. Machinery Design &

and fertilizer gain K1, an experiment had been done Manufacture, 12: 102-105.

according to equation (13). Though MATLAB curve Fan J, Liu Q H, Liu X M, et al. 2014. Simulation of multi-fertilizers

fitting functions combining with the test data, we got blending process and optimization of blending cavity structure in

that K1 equaled to 0.0029 and T equaled to 0.0001. nutrient proportion of variable rate fertilization. Transactions of the

Electrically controlled pressure regulator and fertiliza- CSAM, 45(6): 126-131.

tion pump characteristic equations were shown as the Fan J, Liu Q H, Liu X M, et al. 2014. Granular multi-flows fertilization

followings: process simulation and tube structure optimization in nutrient

2 proportion of variable rate fertilization. Transactions of the CSAM,
D1(s)=KaKpKiKds +(KaKpKi+Ki)s+KaKp (14)
D2(s)=s+10290 (15) 45(11): 81-87.

In the equations above, D1(s) and D2(s) represented Guo S M. 2006. Study of a using an intelligent controller variable-rate

electrically controlled pressure regulator and fertilization fertilization technology. Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou.

pump characteristic equations, respectively. Lang C L, Wang J W, Wang J F, et al. 2013. Variable fertilizer control

Each scale factor in engineering applications was system for deep fertilization liquid fertilizer applicator. Transactions

positive. It was found that each scale factor in the first of the CSAM, 44(2): 44-47.

column of routh-list was positive, meeting routh-crite- Li A C, Wang X, Li L, et al. 2009. Study on the electrically controlled

rion. Electrically controlled pressure regulator and hydraulic motor drive controller. Journal of Heilongjiang August

fertilization pump mathematical models were stable (Lang First Land Reclamation University, 21(1): 66-68.

et al., 2013). Li H Y. 2006. Research on variable rate fertilization control system in

precision agricultural. Xi'an University of Science and Technology,

Xi'an.
Conclusions
Li Y, Zhao J, Xie Y W, et al. 2010. Design and development of

The slave computer control system for applying variable- decision support system for precision fertilization based on land plot.

rate liquid fertilizer with SMC as the core device was Transactions of the CSAE, 26(Supp.1): 192-196.

designed by using electrically controlled pressure Lin C H, Tang Q F, Tang S M. 2006. The research and application

regulator as execution component. The system achieved prospect of precise fertilization techniques. Journal of South China

the purpose of adjusting the fertilizing amount according University of Tropical Agricultural, 12(2): 76 -79.

to the given fertilization signals automatically. The Liu Y C. 2012. Key technology on variable rate application sys-

performance of the slave computer control system was tem. Chinese Academy of Agricultural Mechanization Sciences, 5:

verified via bench tests. The results showed that the 71-75.

fertilization error was less than 0.9, and the fertilization Oliver Y M, Robertson M J, Wong M T F. 2010. Integrating farmer

accuracy was larger than 97%. It was demonstrated knowledge, precision agriculture tools, and crop simulation modell-

that interclass error had no significant influence on the ing to evaluate management options for poor-performing patches in

response. The liquid fertilizer emitted by the fertilizing cropping fields. European Journal of Agronomy, 32: 40-51.

devices had no significant difference in uniformity, which Shi Z, Liang Z Z, Yang Y Y, et al. 2014. Status and prospect of

met the demands of the slave computer control system agricultural remote sensing. Transactions of the CSAM, 26: 31-36.

for applying variable-rate liquid fertilizer. Wang J W, Ji W Y, Feng J L, et al. 2008. Design and experimental

&NBJM
YVFCBPFOHMJTI!OFBVFEVDO
Zhang Ying-zi et al. Design and Experiment of Slave Computer Control System for Applying Variable-rate Liquid Fertilizer ·79·
investigation of the liquid fertilizer applicator. Transactions of the Yang Q, Pang S J, Li Y J, et al. 2006. Design of variable rate control

CSAE, 24(6): 157-159. system of water application based on GPS and GIS. Transactions of

Wang X, Zhao C J, Meng Z J, et al. 2004. Design and experiment of the CSAE, 22(10): 134-138.

variable rate fertilizer applicator. Transactions of the CSAE, 20(5): Yang Q, Zhang Z, Pang S J, et al. 2004. Field vehicle position

114-117. monitoring system based on GPS and GIS. Transactions of the CSAE,

Wang Z L, Fu Q, Jiang Q X. 2009. Comprehensive evaluation of soil 20(4): 84-87.

fertility based on GIS and attribute recognition model. Transactions Yang Y N, Wu C C, Feng C P. 2001. The status of precision agriculture

of the CSAE, 25(6): 76-80. in Japan. Transactions of the CSAM, 32(2): 107-110.

Wei X H, Dan Z M, Sun H W, et al. 2013. Development of vehicular Zhang S H, Ma C L, Wu C C, et al. 2003. Development and application

embedded information processing system for map-based precision of a variable rate fertilizer applicator for precision agriculture. Tran-

farming. Transactions of the CSAE, 29(6): 142-149. sactions of the CSAE, 19(1): 129-131.

Xu X D. 2009. Test-bed for hydraulic motors and computer control Zhu H C, Zhang L, Liu H Y, et al. 2007. Soil nutrient evaluation and

technology applied research. Shenyang University of Technology, recommended model for Chinese gooseberry fertilization based on

Shenyang. GIS. Transactions of the CSAE, 23(6): 194-198.

IUUQ
QVCMJTIOFBVFEVDO