Developed by USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Application Technology Research Unit (ATRU) with competitive funds from USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture through the Specialty Crop Research Initiative (Washington, D.C.), the Intelligent Spray System has ten years of research and field-testing that shows it increases precision and accuracy, while reducing pesticide use when chemicals are applied. Studies at USDA ARS ATRU, The Ohio State University, Oregon State University and the University of Tennessee show a reduction in pesticide use by 43–80 percent with comparable insect control efficiency and equal or better disease control.