Pulverizadores Fede has developed the H3O project (Healthy crop, Healthy environment, Healthy finances… through Optimization) within the framework of the SME Instrument Horizon 2020having the support of the European Union, which chose the H3O technology to face the challenge “Food production and processing in an efficient and eco-innovative way”under theGrant Agreement No. 672231.
The intelligent H3O system allows for adjusting the application of the treatments according to the row tree volume, which entails a drift reduction up to the 48%. The adjustment of treatment supposes also a reduction up to the 25% in the pesticides use, which means remarkable savings for the agricultural companies and a great minimization of the environmental impact related to the phytosanitary treatments. Furthermore, this equipment saves up to 4l/h of fuel consumption. These data were obtained through field tests carried out by two prestigious agricultural research institutions: the Unit of Agricultural Mechanization of the UPC (Polytechnic University of Catalonia)and the IVIA (Valencian Institute for Agricultural Research).
The H3O system represents a new generation of air blasts due to its connection to the Internet, which entails direct communication between agronomists and field operators. The equipment is connected to the Specialty Crops Platform, an agronomic management tool where the technicians can configure the work orders to send them directly to the air blast. Likewise, the operators receive real-time warnings in case any of the parameters of the application is wrong in order to correct it. Once the treatment is finished, the system accurately records all the spraying work data and it is available on the platform to visualize it in detail. In this sense, the H3O system provides real traceability of the treatments, which represents an improvement for the agri-food safety.
The intelligence and connectivity of the H3O system has a result the first Smartomizer, equipment that has already received several innovation awards: Outstanding Technical Novelty as an Agronomic Management Solution in FIMA 2018 (Spain), FERCAM 2018 (Spain), Horti-Tech 2017 (Poland), Outstanding Technical Novelty FIMA 2016 (Spain), Technical Novelty and Environment EIMA 2016 (Italy).
Moreover, the H3O Smartomizer received in 2017 the Certification of Environment and Ecodesign, audited by Bureau Veritas. This certification guarantees the safety and respect for the environment in the production, use and life cycle of this system.