{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,11]],"date-time":"2025-10-11T01:06:06Z","timestamp":1760144766449,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":29,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,22]],"date-time":"2024-05-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1716336000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"National Funds through Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT)"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["AgriEngineering"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Over the last two decades, a considerable amount of equipment has been acquired (spreaders, seeders, sprayers, among others) to respond to the challenges of the precision agriculture (PA) concept. Most of this equipment has been purchased at a high cost. However, many of them, despite still being functional and equipped with sensors, actuators, and electronic processing units capable of adjusting to variations in speed, have become obsolete in terms of communication and incompatible with new monitoring and control systems based on the \u201cIsobus\u201d protocol. This work aims to present a solution for updating the control system (\u201cFerticontrol\u201d) of a \u201cVicon RS-EDW\u201d spreader with variable rate application (VRA), making it compatible with the \u201cInCommand\u201d system from \u201cAg Leader\u201d. The solution includes serial protocol mediation using low-cost tools such as \u201cArduino\u201d and \u201cRaspberry Pi\u201d microcontrollers and open-source software. The development shows that it is possible to implement a solution that is accessible to farmers in general. It also provides a niche business opportunity for young researchers to set up small technology-based enterprises associated with universities and research centers. These partnerships guarantee permanent innovation and represent a decisive step towards modern, technological, competitive, and sustainable agriculture.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/agriengineering6020082","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,22]],"date-time":"2024-05-22T11:03:47Z","timestamp":1716375827000},"page":"1436-1449","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Technological Upgrade of a Vicon RS-EDW Spreader: Development of a Microcontroller for Variable Rate Application"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"6","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5178-8158","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jo\u00e3o","family":"Serrano","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"MED\u2014Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, CHANGE\u2014Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Universidade de \u00c9vora, P\u00f3lo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7006-554 \u00c9vora, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Alexandre","family":"Amaral","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"MED\u2014Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, CHANGE\u2014Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Universidade de \u00c9vora, P\u00f3lo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7006-554 \u00c9vora, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Shakib","family":"Shahidian","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"MED\u2014Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, CHANGE\u2014Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Universidade de \u00c9vora, P\u00f3lo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7006-554 \u00c9vora, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0305-8147","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jos\u00e9 Marques da","family":"Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"MED\u2014Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, CHANGE\u2014Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Universidade de \u00c9vora, P\u00f3lo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7006-554 \u00c9vora, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8465-1318","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francisco J.","family":"Moral","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departamento de Expresi\u00f3n Gr\u00e1fica, Escuela de Ingenier\u00edas Industriales, Universidad de Extremadura, Avenida de Elvas s\/n, 06006 Badajoz, Spain"}]},{"given":"Carlos","family":"Escribano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"AAMS Ib\u00e9rica, Calle de los Alfareros, 4C, 28680 San Martin de Valdeiglesias, Spain"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,5,22]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"626","DOI":"10.3390\/agriengineering4030041","article-title":"Precision fertilization and irrigation: Progress and applications","volume":"4","author":"Lu","year":"2022","journal-title":"AgriEngineering"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"35","DOI":"10.1016\/j.biosystemseng.2007.09.007","article-title":"On-the-go variable-rate phosphorus fertilisation based on a visible and near-infrared soil sensor","volume":"99","author":"Maleki","year":"2008","journal-title":"Biosyst. 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