Research Article
Open Access
Preliminary Application of Unmanned Plant Protection Machinery for Control of Cauliflower Diseases and Insect Pests in a Greenhouse
1
Information Technology Research Center, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China
2
College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
3
Department of Smart Agriculture and Engineering, Wenzhou Vocational College of Science and Technology, Wenzhou 325006, China
* Corresponding Authors:
Zhibin Wang,
[email protected]; Jianbo Shen,
[email protected]
Volume 1, Issue 1
2025
Received: 19 July 2025
Accepted: 22 August 2025
Published: 28 August 2025
Article Information
Published in
Digital Intelligence in Agriculture
Volume/Issue
Volume 1, Issue 1, 2025
Pages
24-34
Cited by
1 (Crossref)
1 (Scopus)
Abstract
Regular control of diseases and pests is crucial for maximizing cauliflower yield and quality. Spray application of chemical pesticides causes environmental pollution, pesticide residue accumulation, and is labor-intensive. To address these challenges, we developed an unmanned plant protection device integrating ozone sterilization, light traps, and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. Installed in a greenhouse, the device included an ozone generator, high-speed fan, and insect traps. It was remotely controlled via a mobile app for real-time adjustments to ozone release, fan speed, trap lamp operation, environmental data collection, and system monitoring. Greenhouse experiments tested the device against cauliflower aphids, Pieris rapae, and black rot. Infestation/infection rates of aphids, Pieris rapae, and black rot in the greenhouse with the device were 23.18%, 19.72%, and 45.83%, respectively—22.52%, 7.21%, and 6.95% lower than the rates in the conventional greenhouse with pesticide sprays. No adverse effects on cauliflower growth were noted, and pesticide use was significantly reduced, lowering both agrochemical and labor costs. The results demonstrate that the unmanned device effectively controls pests and diseases and is safe for use. This offers a bio-friendly solution for pest control in cauliflower production.
Graphical Abstract
Keywords
plant protection machinery
unmanned
pesticide reduction
smart phytoprotection
disease
insect pest
agriculture facility
Data Availability Statement
Data will be made available on request.
Funding
This work was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China under Grant 2022YFD1401200.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Ethical Approval and Consent to Participate
Not applicable.
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APA Style
Wang, Z., Fan, Z., Chen, X., Qiao, X., & Shen, J. (2025). Preliminary Application of Unmanned Plant Protection Machinery for Control of Cauliflower Diseases and Insect Pests in a Greenhouse. Digital Intelligence in Agriculture, 1(1), 24–34. https://doi.org/10.62762/DIA.2025.202928
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TY - JOUR AU - Wang, Zhibin AU - Fan, Zhenzhen AU - Chen, Xifeng AU - Qiao, Xiaojun AU - Shen, Jianbo PY - 2025 DA - 2025/08/28 TI - Preliminary Application of Unmanned Plant Protection Machinery for Control of Cauliflower Diseases and Insect Pests in a Greenhouse JO - Digital Intelligence in Agriculture T2 - Digital Intelligence in Agriculture JF - Digital Intelligence in Agriculture VL - 1 IS - 1 SP - 24 EP - 34 DO - 10.62762/DIA.2025.202928 UR - https://www.icck.org/article/abs/DIA.2025.202928 KW - plant protection machinery KW - unmanned KW - pesticide reduction KW - smart phytoprotection KW - disease KW - insect pest KW - agriculture facility AB - Regular control of diseases and pests is crucial for maximizing cauliflower yield and quality. Spray application of chemical pesticides causes environmental pollution, pesticide residue accumulation, and is labor-intensive. To address these challenges, we developed an unmanned plant protection device integrating ozone sterilization, light traps, and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. Installed in a greenhouse, the device included an ozone generator, high-speed fan, and insect traps. It was remotely controlled via a mobile app for real-time adjustments to ozone release, fan speed, trap lamp operation, environmental data collection, and system monitoring. Greenhouse experiments tested the device against cauliflower aphids, Pieris rapae, and black rot. Infestation/infection rates of aphids, Pieris rapae, and black rot in the greenhouse with the device were 23.18%, 19.72%, and 45.83%, respectively—22.52%, 7.21%, and 6.95% lower than the rates in the conventional greenhouse with pesticide sprays. No adverse effects on cauliflower growth were noted, and pesticide use was significantly reduced, lowering both agrochemical and labor costs. The results demonstrate that the unmanned device effectively controls pests and diseases and is safe for use. This offers a bio-friendly solution for pest control in cauliflower production. SN - 3069-3187 PB - Institute of Central Computation and Knowledge LA - English ER -
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@article{Wang2025Preliminar,
author = {Zhibin Wang and Zhenzhen Fan and Xifeng Chen and Xiaojun Qiao and Jianbo Shen},
title = {Preliminary Application of Unmanned Plant Protection Machinery for Control of Cauliflower Diseases and Insect Pests in a Greenhouse},
journal = {Digital Intelligence in Agriculture},
year = {2025},
volume = {1},
number = {1},
pages = {24-34},
doi = {10.62762/DIA.2025.202928},
url = {https://www.icck.org/article/abs/DIA.2025.202928},
abstract = {Regular control of diseases and pests is crucial for maximizing cauliflower yield and quality. Spray application of chemical pesticides causes environmental pollution, pesticide residue accumulation, and is labor-intensive. To address these challenges, we developed an unmanned plant protection device integrating ozone sterilization, light traps, and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. Installed in a greenhouse, the device included an ozone generator, high-speed fan, and insect traps. It was remotely controlled via a mobile app for real-time adjustments to ozone release, fan speed, trap lamp operation, environmental data collection, and system monitoring. Greenhouse experiments tested the device against cauliflower aphids, Pieris rapae, and black rot. Infestation/infection rates of aphids, Pieris rapae, and black rot in the greenhouse with the device were 23.18\%, 19.72\%, and 45.83\%, respectively—22.52\%, 7.21\%, and 6.95\% lower than the rates in the conventional greenhouse with pesticide sprays. No adverse effects on cauliflower growth were noted, and pesticide use was significantly reduced, lowering both agrochemical and labor costs. The results demonstrate that the unmanned device effectively controls pests and diseases and is safe for use. This offers a bio-friendly solution for pest control in cauliflower production.},
keywords = {plant protection machinery, unmanned, pesticide reduction, smart phytoprotection, disease, insect pest, agriculture facility},
issn = {3069-3187},
publisher = {Institute of Central Computation and Knowledge}
}
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