TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates to agricultural machinery, and more specifically, to an agricultural spreading apparatus or an intelligent urea spreading machine or an intelligent spraying machine (hereinafter interchangeably referred as “intelligent urea spreading machine” or “intelligent spraying machine) that sprays fertilizers (such as urea) in farms.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art. 15
[0003] Currently spreading apparatus are used on farms and orchards etc., to spread various fertilizer products, minerals and growth ameliorants in desired quantities and compositions over the land. Such spreading is typically carried out using towable trailers, trucks, airplanes and helicopters with a storage compartment for the material that is to be spread. The material that is spread is typically chosen from a range of commercially available 20 products, to suit the general requirements of the field or farm. Most often a fertilizer blend is mixed prior to being loaded into a spreading device.
[0004] However, the specific plant and soil nutrient requirements differ across the farm and intra- paddock. Factor such as contour, aspect, soil type, rainfall, altitude are natural influences on fertility whist paddock design, farm design, water trough placement, stocking 25 rate and type or cropping rate and type are influences resulting from human involvement. The combination of both will influence the soil nutrient availability.
[0005] The application of nutrients is typically an expensive process. And just as the application of the correct nutrients can be beneficial, the application of excess nutrients can be harmful to the soil and vegetation and surrounding environment, for example to 30 waterways. What is needed is a better way of distributing the nutrients so that they can be applied in a more targeted fashion.
[0006] When spreading fertilizers with a large range of particle sizes, it is often very difficult to achieve even spreading. When spreading, the larger particles will typically fly
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further than smaller particles. Some fertilizers such as urea are in a pellet form while the nutrients are often in powdered form. When such powdered or fine nutrients are spread with urea in pellet form, the powder tends to separate and can be carried away in the wind or be spread in an uneven rate across the swath especially due to relative weight difference of each particle. 5
[0007] Fertilizer particle overshoot is a problem in traditional spinner type arrangements and traditional flood nozzle spray applicator techniques. While several spinner spreaders have been designed to accommodate overshoot, none seems to completely avoid the overshoot problem. Such overshoot on outside runs may have adverse effect to the environment, for example, it may cause contamination of rivers etc. 10
[0008] Typical spray nozzle cannot cope with the varying intra swath spreading rates without constantly changing nozzles and will block given the varying particle sizes. A standard spinner cannot throw varying size particles evenly. Although product such as urea are often prilled to an even particle size to provide uniform flow and predictable spread pattern, for other reasons it is not always desirable to make all particles exactly the same size 15 and a variation of particle sizes is desirable, for example, some for fast release, some for slow release or some available for leaf absorption and some available for root absorption etc. Since, most fertilizer spinners are designed to spread over large distances and have a cross-over or overshoot, they often lead to contamination outside the desired area and also lead to inadequate distribution of different size particles.Often the soils have different nutrient 20 requirements. For example, some soil may require more nitrogen and some may require more potassium. Simply spreading the same blend of fertilizer over the entire area can be wasteful. [0009] Currently large farms farmers used bigger machines to spray urea in their filed. But smaller and lower land farmers are not able to afford it as to sprinkle urea they used manual mode. To increase the efficiency of farm, they sprayed urea. But this urea is 25 sometime unevenly distributed by them. However, the problems with traditional urea spray methods uneven distribution of urea. Further, urea distribution by hands causes disease to human hands.
[0010] Therefore, there exists a need of an efficient, effective or improved agricultural spreading apparatus and method that efficiently and effectively sprays fertilizers 30 (such as, urea) in farms. Further, there is a need of a spreading apparatus that improves labor efficiency, and reduces human intervention/participation in the process of spraying.
[0011] As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow, the meaning of “a,” “an,” and “the” includes plural reference unless the context clearly dictates
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otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein, the meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on” unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
[0012] In some embodiments, the numerical parameters set forth in the written description and attached claims are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by a particular embodiment. In some embodiments, the 5 numerical parameters should be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques. Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameters setting forth the broad scope of some embodiments of the invention are approximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples are reported as precisely as practicable. The numerical values presented in some embodiments of the 10 invention may contain certain errors necessarily resulting from the standard deviation found in their respective testing measurements.
[0013] The recitation of ranges of values herein is merely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to each separate value falling within the range. Unless otherwise indicated herein, each individual value is incorporated into the specification 15 as if it were individually recited herein. All methods described herein can be performed in any suitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplary language (e.g. “such as”) provided with respect to certain embodiments herein is intended merely to better illuminate the invention and does not pose a limitation on the scope of the invention otherwise claimed. No 20 language in the specification should be construed as indicating any non-claimed element essential to the practice of the invention.
[0014] Groupings of alternative elements or embodiments of the invention disclosed herein are not to be construed as limitations. Each group member can be referred to and claimed individually or in any combination with other members of the group or other 25 elements found herein. One or more members of a group can be included in, or deleted from, a group for reasons of convenience and/or patentability. When any such inclusion or deletion occurs, the specification is herein deemed to contain the group as modified thus fulfilling the written description of all groups used in the appended claims.
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SUMMARY
[0015] This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form to be further described below in the Detailed Description. This summary is not intended
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to identity key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.
[0016] An aspect of the present disclosure relates to an intelligent spraying apparatus for dispensing one or more fertilizers in/over a soil. The intelligent spraying apparatus includes an enclosure, an air flow generator, and animage capturing device. The enclosure 5 encloses an air flow generator and a plurality of storage containers each holding the one or more fertilizers. The enclosure can have a dispenser pipe with at least one image capturing device and a controller. The image capturing device captures an image of one or more plants being currently grown in the soil determine, in real-time, a value of a green colour according to a density of the one or more plantsand trigger the controller to obtain a first pre-determined 10 quantity of the one or more fertilizers from the one or more storage containers based on the value of the green colour, and if the obtained value is less than a pre-determined threshold value of the green colour. The controller generates a second pre-determined quantity of air to be mixed with the obtained first pre-determined quantity of the one or more fertilizers at the air flow generator and dispenses a mixture of the first pre-determined 15 quantity of the one or more fertilizers and the second pre-determined quantity of air in/over the soil based on the real-time detection of the requirement of said soil through the dispenser pipe.
[0017] In an aspect, the enclosure encloses a fertilizer controller valve configured to control a flow of the first pre-determined quantity of the one or more fertilizers from the one 20 or more storage containers.
[0018] In an aspect, the enclosure encloses a fertilizer controller valve controls dispensing of the mixture of the first pre-determined quantity of the one or more fertilizers and the second pre-determined quantity of air
[0019] In an aspect, the enclosure includes at least one actuator, which upon 25 actuation, enables the at least one image capturing device to determine, in real-time, the value of the green colour according to the density of the one or more plants.
[0020] In an aspect, the image capturing device is a camera image capturing device.
[0021] In an aspect, the dispenser pipe includes a camera to capture one or more images of the soil, and determine, in real-time, based on the one or more images by 30 performing an image analysis, a quantity of a desired fertilizer currently present in/over the soil.
[0022] In an aspect, the air glow generator and the one or more storage containers are separated by a partition.
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[0023] In an aspect, the enclosure includes at least one level image capturing device to sense level of said one or more fertilizers in each of the plurality of storage containers.
[0024] In an aspect, the enclosure includes a display coupled to the controller, to enable selection of the fertilizers for dispensing.
[0025] An aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method for dispensing one or 5 more fertilizers in/over a soil using an intelligent spraying apparatus. The method includes the followings steps: animage capturing device connected to a dispenser pipe of the intelligent spraying apparatus captures an image of one or more plants being currently grown in the soil; the image capturing device determinesa value of a green colour according to a density of the one or more plants; a controller of the intelligent spraying apparatus based on 10 the value of the green colour, and if the obtained value is less than a pre-determined threshold value of the green colour, a first pre-determined quantity of the one or more fertilizers from the one or more storage containers; an air flow generator of the intelligent spraying apparatus generates a second pre-determined quantity of air to be mixed with the obtained first pre-determined quantity of the one or more fertilizers and the dispenser pipe of 15 the intelligent spraying apparatus dispenses a mixture of the first pre-determined quantity of the one or more fertilizers and the second pre-determined quantity of air in/over the soil based on the real-time detection of the requirement of said soil.
[0026] Various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, 20 along with the accompanying drawing figures in which like numerals represent like features.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0027] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. 25 The drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.
[0028] In the figures, similar components and/or features may have the same reference label. Further, various components of the same type may be distinguished by following the reference label with a second label that distinguishes among the similar 30 components. If only the first reference label is used in the specification, the description is applicable to any one of the similar components having the same first reference label irrespective of the second reference label.
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[0029] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary perspective view of an agricultural spreading apparatus, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0030] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram of an agricultural spreading apparatus, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0031] Embodiments of the present disclosure include various steps, which will be described below. The steps may be performed by hardware components or may be embodied in machine-executable instructions, which may be used to cause a general-purpose or special-purpose processor programmed with the instructions to perform the steps. Alternatively, steps 10 may be performed by a combination of hardware, software, and firmware or by human operators.
[0032] If the specification states a component or feature “may”, “can”, “could”, or “might” be included or have a characteristic, that particular component or feature is not required to be included or have the characteristic. 15
[0033] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments are shown. This disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. These embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to 20 those of ordinary skill in the art. Moreover, all statements herein reciting embodiments of the disclosure, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalents as well as equivalents developed in the future (i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of structure). 25
[0034] Thus, for example, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the diagrams, schematics, illustrations, and the like represent conceptual views or processes illustrating systems and methods embodying this disclosure. The functions of the various elements shown in the figures may be provided through the use of dedicated hardware as well as hardware capable of executing associated software. Similarly, any 30 electronic code generator shown in the figures are conceptual only. Their function may be carried out through the operation of program logic, through dedicated logic, through the interaction of program control and dedicated logic, or even manually, the particular technique being selectable by the entity implementing this disclosure. Those of ordinary skill in the art
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further understand that the exemplary hardware, software, processes, methods, and/or operating systems described herein are for illustrative purposes and, thus, are not intended to be limited to any particular named.
[0035] Various terms as used herein are shown below. To the extent a term used in a claim is not defined below, it should be given the broadest definition persons in the pertinent 5 art have given that term as reflected in printed publications and issued patents at the time of filing. [0036] Problems to be solved in the present invention are that: Currently large farms farmers used bigger machines to spray urea in their filed. But smaller and lower land farmers are not able to afford it as to sprinkle urea they used manual mode. To increase the efficiency 10 of farm, they sprayed urea. But this urea is sometime unevenly distributed by them. However, the problems with traditional urea spray methods uneven distribution of urea. Further, urea distribution by hands causes disease to human hands.
[0037] Therefore, there exists a need of an efficient, effective or improved agricultural spreading apparatus that sprays fertilizers (such as urea) in farms. Further, there 15 is a need of a spreading apparatus that improves labor efficiency, and reduces human participation.
[0038] An aspect of the present disclosure relates to an agricultural spreading apparatus that sprays fertilizers (such as urea) in farms. The agricultural spreading apparatus includes a tank, a level meter, an airflow generator, a controller, a flow control valve, an air 20 blower and a hosepipe (i.e. outlet line) with a camera.
[0039] In an aspect, the tank can be first filled with urea, the machine glows a green color light/LED to indicate that the machine is ready for use.
[0040] In an aspect, when the machine is actuated to spray the urea, urea comes out from the tank into the urea pipe, where it is mixed with air as produced by the air blower. 25
[0041] In an aspect, air and urea can be mixed at an intermediate section moved upward into the hose pipe and sprayed in the farm.
[0042] In an aspect, the hosepipe configured to the camera captures real-time images from the farm and forward it to a urea flow controlling module (model/algorithm), which is trained to take controlling decisions for the urea flow from the tank based on the images. For 30 example, if the image analysis identifies the presence of urea in a particular area of the farm, the controller may stop or reduce the flow of urea.
[0043] In an aspect, the controller can control the flow of fertilizer.
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[0044] In an aspect, the air blower can be attached with the proposed machine that generates air which can be mixed with fertilizer.
[0045] In an aspect, the outlet pipe enables to spray the mixture of air and fertilizer
[0046] In an aspect, the camera can be mounted on the outlet pipe to capture real-time images of fields. The captured images can be forwarded to the urea flow controlling module 5 (model/algorithm), which is trained to take controlling decisions for the urea flow from the tank based on the said images.
[0047] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary perspective view of an agricultural spreading apparatus, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0048] In an embodiment, the proposed agricultural spreading 100 can include an 10 enclosure102 enclosing an air flow generator110 and a storage container or tank 104 holding one or more fertilizers. The enclosure102 can have a dispenser pipe108 with at least one image capturing device and a controller106.
[0049] In another embodiment, the proposed agricultural spreading apparatus (hereinafter interchangeably referred as “intelligent spraying apparatus”)100 can include a 15 tank 104 (hereinafter interchangeably referred as “container” or “urea container” or “fertilizer container”), a level meter116, an airflow generator110, a controller106, a flow control valve (hereinafter interchangeably referred as “fertilizer controller valve”) 112, an air blower and a hosepipe (hereinafter interchangeably referred as “dispenser pipe”)108 (i.e. outlet line) with a camera 114. 20
[0050] In another embodiment, the machine 100 can be actuated to spray the urea and urea comes out from the tank 104 into the dispenser pipe 112, where it is mixed with air as produced by the air blower.
[0051] In another embodiment, the dispenser pipe 108 can be configured to the camera 114 captures real-time images from the farm and forward it to a urea flow controlling 25 module (model/algorithm) or controller 106 to control decisions for the urea flow from the tank 104 based on the images.
[0052] In another embodiment, the flow control valve 112 and a controller 106 can control the flow of fertilizer. The air blower attached with the proposed machine 100 that generates air which can be mixed with fertilizer. The dispenser pipe 108can spray the mixture 30 of air and fertilizer.
[0053] In another embodiment, the agricultural spreading apparatus 100 can have a chamber of a capacity of 20 Kg urea or more as shown in FIG. 1.
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[0054] In another embodiment, the agricultural spreading apparatus 100 can include animage capturing device that depicts the level of urea present in a urea chamber or aurea tank 104. Initially the ball valve is closed in tank and farmer fill urea into the tank 104. Now farmer carry that urea tank and spray urea as per following process: The urea can be filled the tank 104and actuates theurea spray once it depicts green colour. The urea came out from the 5 tank 104 into a urea pipe or urea supply line118 that mixed with air produced from an air blower.
[0055] In another embodiment, air and urea can be mixed at a section and now move upward into the dispenser pipe 108. The dispenser pipe108can have camera114 mounted to capture real time images from farm. The agricultural spreading apparatus 100 can be trained 10 that actuate the motor before mixing point that controls the flow of urea from the tank.
[0056] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary flow diagram ofan agricultural spreading apparatus, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0057] At step 202, animage capturing device connected to a dispenser pipe of the intelligent spraying apparatus and the image capturing device can capture an image of one or 15 more plants being currently grown in the soil.
[0058] At step 204, the image capturing device determines a value of a green colour according to a density of the one or more plants.
[0059] At step 206, a controller of the intelligent spraying apparatus based on the value of the green colour, and if the obtained value is less than a pre-determined threshold 20 value of the green colour, a first pre-determined quantity of the one or more fertilizers from the one or more storage containers.
[0060] At step 208, an air flow generator of the intelligent spraying apparatus generates a second pre-determined quantity of air to be mixed with the obtained first pre-determined quantity of the one or more fertilizers. 25
[0061] At step 210, the dispenser pipe of the intelligent spraying apparatus dispenses a mixture of the first pre-determined quantity of the one or more fertilizers and the second pre-determined quantity of air in/over the soil based on the real-time detection of the requirement of said soil.
[0062] In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in 30 detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology
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and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. These together with other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the 5 accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.
[0063] While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been set forth for the purpose of disclosure, modifications of the disclosed embodiment of the invention as well as other embodiments thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended 10 claims are intended to cover all embodiments, which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.
[0064] The foregoing object, features and advantages will be able to easily carry out self-technical features of the present invention one of ordinary skill in the art are described later in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, accordingly. If the detailed 15 description of the known art related to the invention In the following description of the present invention that are determined to unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, and detailed description thereof will not be given. It will be described in the following, a preferred embodiment according to the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, for example, in detail. Like reference numerals in the drawings 20 it is used to refer to same or similar elements.
[0065] It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those already described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive subject matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims. Moreover, in interpreting both the specification and the claims, all 25 terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” should be interpreted as referring to elements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are not expressly referenced. Where the specification claims refers 30 to at least one of something selected from the group consisting of A, B, C ….and N, the text should be interpreted as requiring only one element from the group, not A plus N, or B plus N, etc. The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily
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modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein 5 have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
While embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described, it will be clear that the disclosure is not limited to these embodiments only. Numerous modifications, 10 changes, variations, substitutions, and equivalents will be apparent to those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure, as described in the claims.

We claim:
1. An intelligent spraying apparatus (100) for dispensing one or more fertilizers in a soil, the intelligent spraying apparatus comprising:
an enclosure (102), enclosing an air flow generator (110) and a plurality of storage 5 containers (104) each holding the one or more fertilizers, and the enclosure (102) having a dispenser pipe (108) with at least one image capturing device and a controller (106),
wherein the at least one image capturing device is configured to: capture an image of one or more plants being currently grown in the soil, determine, in real-time, a value of a green colour according to a density of the one or more plants, and trigger the controller to: 10
obtain, based on the value of the green colour, and if the obtained value is less than a pre-determined threshold value of the green colour, a first pre-determined quantity of the one or more fertilizers from the one or more storage containers;
generate, at the air flow generator (110), a second pre-determined quantity of air to be mixed with the obtained first pre-determined quantity of the one or more 15 fertilizers; and
dispense, through the dispenser pipe (108), a mixture of the first pre-determined quantity of the one or more fertilizers and the second pre- determined quantity of air in/over the soil based on the real-time detection of the requirement of said soil. 20
2. The intelligent spraying apparatus(100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the enclosure (102) encloses a fertilizer controller valve (112) configured to control a flow of the first pre-determined quantity of the one or more fertilizers from the one or more storage containers.
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3. The intelligent spraying apparatus(100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the enclosure (102) encloses a fertilizer controller valve (112) configured to control dispensing of the mixture of the first pre-determined quantity of the one or more fertilizers and the second pre-determined quantity of air.
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4. The intelligent spraying apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the enclosure comprises at least one actuator, which upon actuation, enables the at least one image capturing device to determine, in real-time, the value of the green colour according to the density of the one or more plants.
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5. The intelligent spraying apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the image capturing device is a camera image capturing device.
6. The intelligent spraying apparatus(100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the dispenser 5 pipe (108) comprises a camera (114) to capture one or more images of the soil, and determine, in real-time, based on the one or more images by performing an image analysis, a quantity of a desired fertilizer currently present in/over the soil.
7. The intelligent spraying apparatus(100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the air glow 10 generator (110) and the one or more storage containers (104) are separated by a partition.
8. The intelligent spraying apparatus(100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the enclosure (102) comprises at least one level image capturing device is configured to sense level of said one or more fertilizers in each of the plurality of storage containers. 15
9. The intelligent spraying apparatus (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the enclosure comprises a display, coupled to the controller, to enable selection of the fertilizers for dispensing.
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10. A method for dispensing one or more fertilizers in/over a soil using an intelligent spraying apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the method comprising:
capturing (202), at animage capturing device connected to a dispenser pipe of the intelligent spraying apparatus, an image of one or more plants being currently grown in the soil; 25
determining (204), at the image capturing device, in real-time, a value of a green colour according to a density of the one or more plants; and
obtaining (206), at a controller of the intelligent spraying apparatus, based on the value of the green colour, and if the obtained value is less than a pre-determined threshold value of the green colour, a first pre-determined quantity of the one or more fertilizers from 30 the one or more storage containers;
generating (208), at an air flow generator of the intelligent spraying apparatus, a second pre-determined quantity of air to be mixed with the obtained first pre-determined quantity of the one or more fertilizers; and
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dispensing (210), through the dispenser pipe of the intelligent spraying apparatus, a mixture of the first pre-determined quantity of the one or more fertilizers and the second pre-determined quantity of air in/over the soil based on the real-time detection of the requirement of said soil.