Performance test and parameter optimization of trichogramma delivery system

Trichogramma is a small wasp that is a natural enemy of many agricultural pests. Although Trichogramma can be used in sustainable crop production, conventional methods of delivering Trichogramma to fields are expensive and may cause pollution. In this study, the feasibility of using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for Trichogramma delivery was investigated. A six-rotor plant protection UAV was equipped with a Trichogramma delivery device, and a Box-Behnken experimental design was carried out with the Trichogramma pills as the test material, the launch height, the launch speed and the launch interval as the experimental factors, and the Trichogramma pills’ landing accuracy as the test index. The data were analyzed by ANOVA using the Design-Expert software, and the influence of each experimental factor on the accuracy of the Trichogramma pills bolus landing was explored through response surface analysis. The regression model between the experimental factors and the experimental indicators was established, and the parameters were optimized based on the response surface method, and the optimal combination parameters were obtained. The ANOVA revealed that the launch height A had the greatest effect on the accuracy, followed by launch interval C and launch velocity B. The results demonstrated that the optimal parameter combination of the Trichogramma delivery system is the launch height of 147.95 cm, the launch speed of 3.7745 m/s, and the launch interval of 2.98 s. At this moment, the accuracy of Trichogramma pills’ bolus landing was the highest, with an accuracy of 93.29%. The average relative error between the experimental value and the optimization result was 1.71%, indicating that the Trichogramma delivery system could meet the requirements of delivery. This study provides theoretical references and technical support for verifying the feasibility of the Trichogramma delivery system.