Pub Date : 2024-01-23DOI: 10.3390/agriengineering6010016
Juan Carlos Díaz-Rivera, C. Aguirre-Salado, L. Miranda-Aragón, A. I. Aguirre-Salado
This study aimed to delineate the most suitable areas for sustainable citrus production by integrating multi-criteria decision analysis, time-series remote sensing, and principal component analysis in a portion of the northern citrus belt of Mexico, particularly in the Rioverde Valley. Fourteen specific factors were grouped into four main factors, i.e., topography, soil, climate, and proximity to water sources, to carry out a multi-criteria decision analysis for classifying production areas according to suitability levels. To explore the effect of precipitation on land suitability for citrus production, we analyzed the historical record of annual precipitation estimated by processing 20-year NDVI daily data. The multi-criteria model was run for every precipitation year. The final map of land suitability was obtained by using the first component after principal component analysis on annual land suitability maps. The results indicate that approximately 30% of the study area is suitable for growing orange groves, with specific areas designated as suitable based on both mean annual precipitation (MAP) and principal component analysis (PCA) criteria, resulting in 84,415.7 ha and 95,485.5 ha of suitable land, respectively. The study highlighted the importance of remotely sensed data-based time-series precipitation in predicting potential land suitability for growing orange groves in semiarid lands. Our results may support decision-making processes for the effective land management of orange groves in the Mexico’s Rioverde region.
{"title":"Some Geospatial Insights on Orange Grove Site Selection in a Portion of the Northern Citrus Belt of Mexico","authors":"Juan Carlos Díaz-Rivera, C. Aguirre-Salado, L. Miranda-Aragón, A. I. Aguirre-Salado","doi":"10.3390/agriengineering6010016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering6010016","url":null,"abstract":"This study aimed to delineate the most suitable areas for sustainable citrus production by integrating multi-criteria decision analysis, time-series remote sensing, and principal component analysis in a portion of the northern citrus belt of Mexico, particularly in the Rioverde Valley. Fourteen specific factors were grouped into four main factors, i.e., topography, soil, climate, and proximity to water sources, to carry out a multi-criteria decision analysis for classifying production areas according to suitability levels. To explore the effect of precipitation on land suitability for citrus production, we analyzed the historical record of annual precipitation estimated by processing 20-year NDVI daily data. The multi-criteria model was run for every precipitation year. The final map of land suitability was obtained by using the first component after principal component analysis on annual land suitability maps. The results indicate that approximately 30% of the study area is suitable for growing orange groves, with specific areas designated as suitable based on both mean annual precipitation (MAP) and principal component analysis (PCA) criteria, resulting in 84,415.7 ha and 95,485.5 ha of suitable land, respectively. The study highlighted the importance of remotely sensed data-based time-series precipitation in predicting potential land suitability for growing orange groves in semiarid lands. Our results may support decision-making processes for the effective land management of orange groves in the Mexico’s Rioverde region.","PeriodicalId":7846,"journal":{"name":"AgriEngineering","volume":"121 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139605561","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-01-22DOI: 10.3390/agriengineering6010014
M. Biocca, D. Pochi, G. Imperi, P. Gallo
Urban vegetation plays a crucial role in reducing atmospheric particulate matter (PM), modifying microclimates, and improving air quality. This study investigates the impact of a laurel hedge (Laurus nobilis L.) on airborne PM, specifically total suspended particulate (TSP) and respirable particles (PM4) generated by a Diesel tractor engine. Conducted in a wind tunnel of approximately 20 m, the research provides insights into dust deposition under near-real-world conditions, marking, to our knowledge, the first exploration in a wind tunnel of this scale. Potted laurel plants, standing around 2.5 m tall, were arranged to create barriers of three different densities, and air dust concentrations were detected at 1, 4, 9, and 14 m from the plants. The study aimed both to develop an experimental system and to assess the laurel hedge’s ability to reduce atmospheric PM. Results show an overall reduction in air PM concentrations (up to 39%) due to the presence of the hedge. The highest value of dust reduction on respirable particles was caused by the thickest hedge (three rows of plants). However, the data exhibit varying correlations with hedge density. This study provides empirical findings regarding the interaction between dust and vegetation, offering insights for designing effective hedge combinations in terms of size and porosity to mitigate airborne particulate matter.
{"title":"Reduction in Atmospheric Particulate Matter by Green Hedges in a Wind Tunnel","authors":"M. Biocca, D. Pochi, G. Imperi, P. Gallo","doi":"10.3390/agriengineering6010014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering6010014","url":null,"abstract":"Urban vegetation plays a crucial role in reducing atmospheric particulate matter (PM), modifying microclimates, and improving air quality. This study investigates the impact of a laurel hedge (Laurus nobilis L.) on airborne PM, specifically total suspended particulate (TSP) and respirable particles (PM4) generated by a Diesel tractor engine. Conducted in a wind tunnel of approximately 20 m, the research provides insights into dust deposition under near-real-world conditions, marking, to our knowledge, the first exploration in a wind tunnel of this scale. Potted laurel plants, standing around 2.5 m tall, were arranged to create barriers of three different densities, and air dust concentrations were detected at 1, 4, 9, and 14 m from the plants. The study aimed both to develop an experimental system and to assess the laurel hedge’s ability to reduce atmospheric PM. Results show an overall reduction in air PM concentrations (up to 39%) due to the presence of the hedge. The highest value of dust reduction on respirable particles was caused by the thickest hedge (three rows of plants). However, the data exhibit varying correlations with hedge density. This study provides empirical findings regarding the interaction between dust and vegetation, offering insights for designing effective hedge combinations in terms of size and porosity to mitigate airborne particulate matter.","PeriodicalId":7846,"journal":{"name":"AgriEngineering","volume":"29 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139608188","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-01-22DOI: 10.3390/agriengineering6010015
Nathalie Guimarães, H. Fraga, J. J. Sousa, Luís Pádua, Albino Bento, P. Couto
Almonds are becoming a central element in the gastronomic and food industry worldwide. Over the last few years, almond production has increased globally. Portugal has become the third most important producer in Europe, where this increasing trend is particularly evident. However, the susceptibility of almond trees to changing climatic conditions presents substantial risks, encompassing yield reduction and quality deterioration. Hence, yield forecasts become crucial for mitigating potential losses and aiding decisionmakers within the agri-food sector. Recent technological advancements and new data analysis techniques have led to the development of more suitable methods to model crop yields. Herein, an innovative approach to predict almond yields in the Trás-os-Montes region of Portugal was developed, by using machine learning regression models (i.e., the random forest regressor, XGBRegressor, gradient boosting regressor, bagging regressor, and AdaBoost regressor), coupled with remote sensing data obtained from different satellite platforms. Satellite data from both proprietary and free platforms at different spatial resolutions were used as features in the study (i.e., the GSMP: 11.13 km, Terra: 1 km, Landsat 8: 30 m, Sentinel-2: 10 m, and PlanetScope: 3 m). The best possible combination of features was analyzed and hyperparameter tuning was applied to enhance the prediction accuracy. Our results suggest that high-resolution data (PlanetScope) combined with irrigation information, vegetation indices, and climate data significantly improves almond yield prediction. The XGBRegressor model performed best when using PlanetScope data, reaching a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.80. However, alternative options using freely available data with lower spatial resolution, such as GSMaP and Terra MODIS LST, also showed satisfactory performance (R2 = 0.68). This study highlights the potential of integrating machine learning models and remote sensing data for accurate crop yield prediction, providing valuable insights for informed decision support in the almond sector, contributing to the resilience and sustainability of this crop in the face of evolving climate dynamics.
{"title":"Comparative Evaluation of Remote Sensing Platforms for Almond Yield Prediction","authors":"Nathalie Guimarães, H. Fraga, J. J. Sousa, Luís Pádua, Albino Bento, P. Couto","doi":"10.3390/agriengineering6010015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering6010015","url":null,"abstract":"Almonds are becoming a central element in the gastronomic and food industry worldwide. Over the last few years, almond production has increased globally. Portugal has become the third most important producer in Europe, where this increasing trend is particularly evident. However, the susceptibility of almond trees to changing climatic conditions presents substantial risks, encompassing yield reduction and quality deterioration. Hence, yield forecasts become crucial for mitigating potential losses and aiding decisionmakers within the agri-food sector. Recent technological advancements and new data analysis techniques have led to the development of more suitable methods to model crop yields. Herein, an innovative approach to predict almond yields in the Trás-os-Montes region of Portugal was developed, by using machine learning regression models (i.e., the random forest regressor, XGBRegressor, gradient boosting regressor, bagging regressor, and AdaBoost regressor), coupled with remote sensing data obtained from different satellite platforms. Satellite data from both proprietary and free platforms at different spatial resolutions were used as features in the study (i.e., the GSMP: 11.13 km, Terra: 1 km, Landsat 8: 30 m, Sentinel-2: 10 m, and PlanetScope: 3 m). The best possible combination of features was analyzed and hyperparameter tuning was applied to enhance the prediction accuracy. Our results suggest that high-resolution data (PlanetScope) combined with irrigation information, vegetation indices, and climate data significantly improves almond yield prediction. The XGBRegressor model performed best when using PlanetScope data, reaching a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.80. However, alternative options using freely available data with lower spatial resolution, such as GSMaP and Terra MODIS LST, also showed satisfactory performance (R2 = 0.68). This study highlights the potential of integrating machine learning models and remote sensing data for accurate crop yield prediction, providing valuable insights for informed decision support in the almond sector, contributing to the resilience and sustainability of this crop in the face of evolving climate dynamics.","PeriodicalId":7846,"journal":{"name":"AgriEngineering","volume":"11 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139609248","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-01-22DOI: 10.3390/agriengineering6010013
L. A. Conceição, Luís Silva, C. Valero, Luís Loures, Benvindo Maçãs
In Mediterranean farming systems, the semi-arid conditions and agricultural ecosystems have made site-specific management an important approach. This method aims to understand and handle the variability of soil properties and crop management, particularly through the utilization of geospatial information and accessible technology. Over three years in a 30 ha experimental field located in the Alentejo region (Portugal), crop establishment was monitored using data from soil apparent electrical conductivity (ECa), remote sensing (Sentinel-2), and in situ soil sampling. The procedure began with Step 1, involving the acquisition of soil spatial information and spatial interpolation. Subsequently, in Step 2, management zones (MZs) for soil characteristics were delineated using a combination of ECa measurements and soil analysis, and Step 3 spanned over three years of gathering meteorological data and crop remote sensing measurements. In Step 4, site-specific crop MZs were delineated by vegetation indexes (VIs). This article aims to increase the importance of in situ and remote assessments to more accurately identify areas with different productive potential. Results showed three MZs based on the percentage of sand, ECa, altimetry, exchangeable calcium, and exchangeable calcium properties, validated by crop VIs (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalized Difference Red-Edge Index (NDRE), and Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI)) over time. Although there are many sensorial techniques available for site-specific management, this paper emphasizes a methodology for the farmer to identify different MZs combining remote and in situ evaluations, supporting new opportunities for a more rational use of natural resources. Based on soil parameters, three site-specific management areas could be selected. NDMI was the index that best explained the MZs created according to soil properties.
{"title":"Delineation of Soil Management Zones and Validation through the Vigour of a Fodder Crop","authors":"L. A. Conceição, Luís Silva, C. Valero, Luís Loures, Benvindo Maçãs","doi":"10.3390/agriengineering6010013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering6010013","url":null,"abstract":"In Mediterranean farming systems, the semi-arid conditions and agricultural ecosystems have made site-specific management an important approach. This method aims to understand and handle the variability of soil properties and crop management, particularly through the utilization of geospatial information and accessible technology. Over three years in a 30 ha experimental field located in the Alentejo region (Portugal), crop establishment was monitored using data from soil apparent electrical conductivity (ECa), remote sensing (Sentinel-2), and in situ soil sampling. The procedure began with Step 1, involving the acquisition of soil spatial information and spatial interpolation. Subsequently, in Step 2, management zones (MZs) for soil characteristics were delineated using a combination of ECa measurements and soil analysis, and Step 3 spanned over three years of gathering meteorological data and crop remote sensing measurements. In Step 4, site-specific crop MZs were delineated by vegetation indexes (VIs). This article aims to increase the importance of in situ and remote assessments to more accurately identify areas with different productive potential. Results showed three MZs based on the percentage of sand, ECa, altimetry, exchangeable calcium, and exchangeable calcium properties, validated by crop VIs (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalized Difference Red-Edge Index (NDRE), and Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI)) over time. Although there are many sensorial techniques available for site-specific management, this paper emphasizes a methodology for the farmer to identify different MZs combining remote and in situ evaluations, supporting new opportunities for a more rational use of natural resources. Based on soil parameters, three site-specific management areas could be selected. NDMI was the index that best explained the MZs created according to soil properties.","PeriodicalId":7846,"journal":{"name":"AgriEngineering","volume":"49 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139606860","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-01-18DOI: 10.3390/agriengineering6010011
Đurđica Kovačić, Dorijan Radočaj, Danijela Samac, M. Jurišić
The research on lignocellulose pretreatments is generally performed through experiments that require substantial resources, are often time-consuming and are not always environmentally friendly. Therefore, researchers are developing computational methods which can minimize experimental procedures and save money. In this research, three machine learning methods, including Random Forest (RF), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB) and Support Vector Machine (SVM), as well as their ensembles were evaluated to predict acid-insoluble detergent lignin (AIDL) content in lignocellulose biomass. Three different types of harvest residue (maize stover, soybean straw and sunflower stalk) were first pretreated in a laboratory oven with hot air under two different temperatures (121 and 175 °C) at different duration (30 and 90 min) with the aim of disintegration of the lignocellulosic structure, i.e., delignification. Based on the leave-one-out cross-validation, the XGB resulted in the highest accuracy for all individual harvest residues, achieving the coefficient of determination (R2) in the range of 0.756–0.980. The relative variable importances for all individual harvest residues strongly suggested the dominant impact of pretreatment temperature in comparison to its duration. These findings proved the effectiveness of machine learning prediction in the optimization of lignocellulose pretreatment, leading to a more efficient lignin destabilization approach.
{"title":"Influence of Thermal Pretreatment on Lignin Destabilization in Harvest Residues: An Ensemble Machine Learning Approach","authors":"Đurđica Kovačić, Dorijan Radočaj, Danijela Samac, M. Jurišić","doi":"10.3390/agriengineering6010011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering6010011","url":null,"abstract":"The research on lignocellulose pretreatments is generally performed through experiments that require substantial resources, are often time-consuming and are not always environmentally friendly. Therefore, researchers are developing computational methods which can minimize experimental procedures and save money. In this research, three machine learning methods, including Random Forest (RF), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGB) and Support Vector Machine (SVM), as well as their ensembles were evaluated to predict acid-insoluble detergent lignin (AIDL) content in lignocellulose biomass. Three different types of harvest residue (maize stover, soybean straw and sunflower stalk) were first pretreated in a laboratory oven with hot air under two different temperatures (121 and 175 °C) at different duration (30 and 90 min) with the aim of disintegration of the lignocellulosic structure, i.e., delignification. Based on the leave-one-out cross-validation, the XGB resulted in the highest accuracy for all individual harvest residues, achieving the coefficient of determination (R2) in the range of 0.756–0.980. The relative variable importances for all individual harvest residues strongly suggested the dominant impact of pretreatment temperature in comparison to its duration. These findings proved the effectiveness of machine learning prediction in the optimization of lignocellulose pretreatment, leading to a more efficient lignin destabilization approach.","PeriodicalId":7846,"journal":{"name":"AgriEngineering","volume":"123 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139615032","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-01-18DOI: 10.3390/agriengineering6010012
Ganesh Upadhyay, Neeraj Kumar, H. Raheman, Rashmi Dubey
Optimizing the design and operational parameters for tillage tools is crucial for improved performance. Recently, artificial intelligence approaches, like ANN with learning capabilities, have gained attention for cost-effective and timely problem solving. Soil-bin experiments were conducted and data were used to develop ANN and regression models using gang angle, velocity ratio, soil CI, and depth as input parameters, while tractor equivalent PTO (PTOeq) power was used as an output. Both models were trained with a randomly selected 90% of the data, reserving 10% for testing purposes. In regression, models were iteratively fitted using nonlinear least-squares optimization. The ANN model utilized a multilayer feed-forward network with a backpropagation algorithm. The comparative performance of both models was evaluated in terms of R2 and mean square error (MSE). The ANN model outperformed the regression model in the training, testing, and validation phases. A well-trained ANN model was integrated with the particle-swarm optimization (PSO) technique for optimization of the operational parameters. The optimized configuration featured a 36.6° gang angle, 0.50 MPa CI, 100 mm depth, and 3.90 velocity ratio for a predicted tractor PTOeq power of 3.36 kW against an actual value of 3.45 kW. ANN–PSO predicted the optimal parameters with a variation between the predicted and the actual tractor PTOeq power within ±6.85%.
{"title":"Predicting the Power Requirement of Agricultural Machinery Using ANN and Regression Models and the Optimization of Parameters Using an ANN–PSO Technique","authors":"Ganesh Upadhyay, Neeraj Kumar, H. Raheman, Rashmi Dubey","doi":"10.3390/agriengineering6010012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering6010012","url":null,"abstract":"Optimizing the design and operational parameters for tillage tools is crucial for improved performance. Recently, artificial intelligence approaches, like ANN with learning capabilities, have gained attention for cost-effective and timely problem solving. Soil-bin experiments were conducted and data were used to develop ANN and regression models using gang angle, velocity ratio, soil CI, and depth as input parameters, while tractor equivalent PTO (PTOeq) power was used as an output. Both models were trained with a randomly selected 90% of the data, reserving 10% for testing purposes. In regression, models were iteratively fitted using nonlinear least-squares optimization. The ANN model utilized a multilayer feed-forward network with a backpropagation algorithm. The comparative performance of both models was evaluated in terms of R2 and mean square error (MSE). The ANN model outperformed the regression model in the training, testing, and validation phases. A well-trained ANN model was integrated with the particle-swarm optimization (PSO) technique for optimization of the operational parameters. The optimized configuration featured a 36.6° gang angle, 0.50 MPa CI, 100 mm depth, and 3.90 velocity ratio for a predicted tractor PTOeq power of 3.36 kW against an actual value of 3.45 kW. ANN–PSO predicted the optimal parameters with a variation between the predicted and the actual tractor PTOeq power within ±6.85%.","PeriodicalId":7846,"journal":{"name":"AgriEngineering","volume":"125 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139615180","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-01-16DOI: 10.3390/agriengineering6010010
David Mojaravscki, P. G. Graziano Magalhães
Integrating deep learning for crop monitoring presents opportunities and challenges, particularly in object detection under varying environmental conditions. This study investigates the efficacy of image preprocessing methods for olive identification using mobile cameras under natural light. The research is grounded in the broader context of enhancing object detection accuracy in variable lighting, which is crucial for practical applications in precision agriculture. The study primarily employs the YOLOv7 object detection model and compares various color correction techniques, including histogram equalization (HE), adaptive histogram equalization (AHE), and color correction using the ColorChecker. Additionally, the research examines the role of data augmentation methods, such as image and bounding box rotation, in conjunction with these preprocessing techniques. The findings reveal that while all preprocessing methods improve detection performance compared to non-processed images, AHE is particularly effective in dealing with natural lighting variability. The study also demonstrates that image rotation augmentation consistently enhances model accuracy across different preprocessing methods. These results contribute significantly to agricultural technology, highlighting the importance of tailored image preprocessing in object detection models. The conclusions drawn from this research offer valuable insights for optimizing deep learning applications in agriculture, particularly in scenarios with inconsistent environmental conditions.
{"title":"Comparative Evaluation of Color Correction as Image Preprocessing for Olive Identification under Natural Light Using Cell Phones","authors":"David Mojaravscki, P. G. Graziano Magalhães","doi":"10.3390/agriengineering6010010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering6010010","url":null,"abstract":"Integrating deep learning for crop monitoring presents opportunities and challenges, particularly in object detection under varying environmental conditions. This study investigates the efficacy of image preprocessing methods for olive identification using mobile cameras under natural light. The research is grounded in the broader context of enhancing object detection accuracy in variable lighting, which is crucial for practical applications in precision agriculture. The study primarily employs the YOLOv7 object detection model and compares various color correction techniques, including histogram equalization (HE), adaptive histogram equalization (AHE), and color correction using the ColorChecker. Additionally, the research examines the role of data augmentation methods, such as image and bounding box rotation, in conjunction with these preprocessing techniques. The findings reveal that while all preprocessing methods improve detection performance compared to non-processed images, AHE is particularly effective in dealing with natural lighting variability. The study also demonstrates that image rotation augmentation consistently enhances model accuracy across different preprocessing methods. These results contribute significantly to agricultural technology, highlighting the importance of tailored image preprocessing in object detection models. The conclusions drawn from this research offer valuable insights for optimizing deep learning applications in agriculture, particularly in scenarios with inconsistent environmental conditions.","PeriodicalId":7846,"journal":{"name":"AgriEngineering","volume":" 27","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139619455","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-01-15DOI: 10.3390/agriengineering6010009
I. Ajayi-Banji, E. Monono, Jasper Teboh, Szilvia Yuja, Kenneth Hellevang
Soybean downgrading due to immature (green and semi-green) color at harvest, caused by frost conditions, poses a significant loss to producers and processors. After harvest, drying and storage are important for preserving the quality of the harvested produce. This study investigated the impact of drying on color change in harvested immature soybeans and the effect of the soybean moisture content, storage environment (temperature, light, and aeration), and storage period on color change and oil quality of immature soybeans. Soybeans were harvested at three different maturity stages: R6 (green) and R7 (semi-green) in pods and R8 (fully matured) in seed. The soybeans in pods were dried, shelled, and conditioned to moisture contents of 12% and 17% (wet basis) prior to storage in 12 storage chamber (box) environments. The chambers were built to have four environments of “light” and “no light” with and without aeration and were stored at temperatures of either 4 °C or 23.5 °C for 24 weeks. Samples were taken every 2 weeks for 2 months and then bimonthly in storage. Soybean color change during drying and their chlorophyll, color, peroxide value (PV), and free fatty acid (FFA) status in storage were determined. Visual observation showed that R6 (green) soybean color faded after 48 h drying, which was supported with a colorimeter reading as the “a” value increased from −8.89 to −3.83 and −8.89 to −1.71 with 37 °C and 27 °C drying temperatures, respectively. The ANOVA analysis showed that light had the greatest contribution (~81%) to the color change compared to the other three storage environment factors of temperature (~9.1%), aeration (~8%), and moisture content (~1.5%) with <10% separate effects. During storage, the R6 green and R7 semi-green soybean color continued to fade with color a-values that exceeded the initial values of the R8 matured (control) by 353% and 350%, respectively, by the end of the storage period. Low amounts of peroxide and free fatty acids (FFA) were recorded throughout the storage period. Only the FFA of 17% M.C. soybeans stored at 23.5 °C exceeded acceptable limits at the end of the storage period. Exposing immature (green and semi-green) soybeans to light resulted in the fading of the green color. Seed producers in regions prone to frost can extend harvest time by allowing immature soybeans to field-dry.
大豆在收获时因霜冻造成颜色不成熟（绿色和半绿色）而降级，给生产商和加工商造成重大损失。收获后，干燥和储存对保持收获产品的质量非常重要。本研究调查了干燥对收获未成熟大豆颜色变化的影响，以及大豆含水量、储存环境（温度、光照和通气）和储存期对未成熟大豆颜色变化和油质的影响。大豆在三个不同的成熟阶段收获：豆荚为 R6（绿色）和 R7（半绿色），种子为 R8（完全成熟）。豆荚中的大豆在 12 个储藏室（箱）环境中储藏前，先进行干燥、去壳和调节，使含水量达到 12% 和 17%（湿基）。储藏室分为 "有光 "和 "无光 "两种环境，有通气和无通气两种环境，在 4 °C 或 23.5 °C 的温度下储藏 24 周。在两个月内每两周取样一次，然后在储存期间每两个月取样一次。测定了大豆在干燥过程中的颜色变化及其叶绿素、色泽、过氧化值（PV）和储存过程中的游离脂肪酸（FFA）状况。肉眼观察显示，R6（绿色）大豆在干燥 48 小时后颜色变淡，色度计读数也证明了这一点，在 37 °C 和 27 °C 干燥温度下，"a "值分别从-8.89 升至-3.83 和-8.89 升至-1.71。方差分析显示，与其他三个贮藏环境因素温度（约 9.1%）、通气（约 8%）和含水量（约 1.5%）相比，光照对颜色变化的影响最大（约 81%），单独影响小于 10%。在贮藏期间，R6 绿色和 R7 半绿色大豆的颜色继续变淡，到贮藏期结束时，颜色 a 值分别比 R8 成熟大豆（对照）的初始值高出 353% 和 350%。在整个储存期间，过氧化物和游离脂肪酸（FFA）的含量都很低。只有在 23.5 °C 下储存的 17% M.C. 大豆的游离脂肪酸在储存期结束时超过了可接受的限度。将未成熟（绿色和半绿色）大豆暴露在光线下会导致绿色褪去。易受霜冻影响地区的种子生产商可通过让未成熟大豆在田间晾干来延长收获时间。
{"title":"Post-Harvest Management of Immature (Green and Semi-Green) Soybeans: Effect of Drying and Storage Conditions (Temperature, Light, and Aeration) on Color and Oil Quality","authors":"I. Ajayi-Banji, E. Monono, Jasper Teboh, Szilvia Yuja, Kenneth Hellevang","doi":"10.3390/agriengineering6010009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering6010009","url":null,"abstract":"Soybean downgrading due to immature (green and semi-green) color at harvest, caused by frost conditions, poses a significant loss to producers and processors. After harvest, drying and storage are important for preserving the quality of the harvested produce. This study investigated the impact of drying on color change in harvested immature soybeans and the effect of the soybean moisture content, storage environment (temperature, light, and aeration), and storage period on color change and oil quality of immature soybeans. Soybeans were harvested at three different maturity stages: R6 (green) and R7 (semi-green) in pods and R8 (fully matured) in seed. The soybeans in pods were dried, shelled, and conditioned to moisture contents of 12% and 17% (wet basis) prior to storage in 12 storage chamber (box) environments. The chambers were built to have four environments of “light” and “no light” with and without aeration and were stored at temperatures of either 4 °C or 23.5 °C for 24 weeks. Samples were taken every 2 weeks for 2 months and then bimonthly in storage. Soybean color change during drying and their chlorophyll, color, peroxide value (PV), and free fatty acid (FFA) status in storage were determined. Visual observation showed that R6 (green) soybean color faded after 48 h drying, which was supported with a colorimeter reading as the “a” value increased from −8.89 to −3.83 and −8.89 to −1.71 with 37 °C and 27 °C drying temperatures, respectively. The ANOVA analysis showed that light had the greatest contribution (~81%) to the color change compared to the other three storage environment factors of temperature (~9.1%), aeration (~8%), and moisture content (~1.5%) with <10% separate effects. During storage, the R6 green and R7 semi-green soybean color continued to fade with color a-values that exceeded the initial values of the R8 matured (control) by 353% and 350%, respectively, by the end of the storage period. Low amounts of peroxide and free fatty acids (FFA) were recorded throughout the storage period. Only the FFA of 17% M.C. soybeans stored at 23.5 °C exceeded acceptable limits at the end of the storage period. Exposing immature (green and semi-green) soybeans to light resulted in the fading of the green color. Seed producers in regions prone to frost can extend harvest time by allowing immature soybeans to field-dry.","PeriodicalId":7846,"journal":{"name":"AgriEngineering","volume":" 81","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139620873","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-01-12DOI: 10.3390/agriengineering6010008
D. Trinh, Nguyen Truong Thinh
This study demonstrates robot technology for harvesting edible bird’s nests within swiftlet houses. A comprehensive manipulator’s movement analysis of harvesting operation with a separating tool is provided for precisely collecting swiftlet nests. A robotic manipulator mounted on a mobile platform with a vision system is also analyzed and evaluated in this study. The actual harvesting or separating the swiftlet nests is performed with visual servo feedback. The manipulator performs the gross motions of separating tools and removing the nests under computer control with velocity and position feedback. The separating principle between the objective nest and wooden frame has been applied to a demonstration removal of nests using a four-degrees-of-freedom manipulator to perform the gross movements of tool. The actual separations using this system are accomplished as fast as the manipulator can be controlled to perform the necessary deceleration and topping at the end of separating. This is typically 2.0 s. This efficiency underscores the system’s capability for swift and precise operation in harvesting an edible bird nest task.
{"title":"A Study of an Agricultural Indoor Robot for Harvesting Edible Bird Nests in Vietnam","authors":"D. Trinh, Nguyen Truong Thinh","doi":"10.3390/agriengineering6010008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering6010008","url":null,"abstract":"This study demonstrates robot technology for harvesting edible bird’s nests within swiftlet houses. A comprehensive manipulator’s movement analysis of harvesting operation with a separating tool is provided for precisely collecting swiftlet nests. A robotic manipulator mounted on a mobile platform with a vision system is also analyzed and evaluated in this study. The actual harvesting or separating the swiftlet nests is performed with visual servo feedback. The manipulator performs the gross motions of separating tools and removing the nests under computer control with velocity and position feedback. The separating principle between the objective nest and wooden frame has been applied to a demonstration removal of nests using a four-degrees-of-freedom manipulator to perform the gross movements of tool. The actual separations using this system are accomplished as fast as the manipulator can be controlled to perform the necessary deceleration and topping at the end of separating. This is typically 2.0 s. This efficiency underscores the system’s capability for swift and precise operation in harvesting an edible bird nest task.","PeriodicalId":7846,"journal":{"name":"AgriEngineering","volume":" 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139625040","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-01-11DOI: 10.3390/agriengineering6010007
A. Atanasov, Boris I. Evstatiev, Valentin N. Vladut, S. Biriș
Determining the productive potential of flowering vegetation is crucial in obtaining bee products. The application of a remote sensing approach of terrestrial objects can provide accurate information for the preparation of maps of the potential bee pasture in a given region. The study is aimed at the creation of a novel algorithm to identify and distinguish white flowering honey plants, such as black locust (Robinia pseudo-acacia) and to determine the areas occupied by this forest species in mixed forest ecosystems using UAV-based RGB imaging. In our study, to determine the plant cover of black locust in mixed forest ecosystems we used a DJI (Da-Jiang Innovations, Shenzhen, China) Phantom 4 Multispectral drone with 6 multispectral cameras with 1600 × 1300 image resolution. The monitoring was conducted in the May 2023 growing season in the village of Yuper, Northeast Bulgaria. The geographical location of the experimental region is 43°32′4.02″ N and 25°45′14.10″ E at an altitude of 223 m. The UAV was used to make RGB and multispectral images of the investigated forest massifs, which were thereafter analyzed with the software product QGIS 3.0. The spectral images of the observed plants were evaluated using the newly created criteria for distinguishing white from non-white colors. The results obtained for the scanned area showed that approximately 14–15% of the area is categorized as white-flowered trees, and the remaining 86–85%—as non-white-flowered. The comparison of the developed algorithm with the Enhanced Bloom Index (EBI) approach and with supervised Support Vector Machine (SVM) classification showed that the suggested criterion is easy to understand for users with little technical experience, very accurate in identifying white blooming trees, and reduces the number of false positives and false negatives. The proposed approach of detecting and mapping the areas occupied by white flowering honey plants, such as black locust (Robinia pseudo-acacia) in mixed forest ecosystems is of great importance for beekeepers in determining the productive potential of the region and choosing a place for an apiary.
{"title":"A Novel Algorithm to Detect White Flowering Honey Trees in Mixed Forest Ecosystems Using UAV-Based RGB Imaging","authors":"A. Atanasov, Boris I. Evstatiev, Valentin N. Vladut, S. Biriș","doi":"10.3390/agriengineering6010007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering6010007","url":null,"abstract":"Determining the productive potential of flowering vegetation is crucial in obtaining bee products. The application of a remote sensing approach of terrestrial objects can provide accurate information for the preparation of maps of the potential bee pasture in a given region. The study is aimed at the creation of a novel algorithm to identify and distinguish white flowering honey plants, such as black locust (Robinia pseudo-acacia) and to determine the areas occupied by this forest species in mixed forest ecosystems using UAV-based RGB imaging. In our study, to determine the plant cover of black locust in mixed forest ecosystems we used a DJI (Da-Jiang Innovations, Shenzhen, China) Phantom 4 Multispectral drone with 6 multispectral cameras with 1600 × 1300 image resolution. The monitoring was conducted in the May 2023 growing season in the village of Yuper, Northeast Bulgaria. The geographical location of the experimental region is 43°32′4.02″ N and 25°45′14.10″ E at an altitude of 223 m. The UAV was used to make RGB and multispectral images of the investigated forest massifs, which were thereafter analyzed with the software product QGIS 3.0. The spectral images of the observed plants were evaluated using the newly created criteria for distinguishing white from non-white colors. The results obtained for the scanned area showed that approximately 14–15% of the area is categorized as white-flowered trees, and the remaining 86–85%—as non-white-flowered. The comparison of the developed algorithm with the Enhanced Bloom Index (EBI) approach and with supervised Support Vector Machine (SVM) classification showed that the suggested criterion is easy to understand for users with little technical experience, very accurate in identifying white blooming trees, and reduces the number of false positives and false negatives. The proposed approach of detecting and mapping the areas occupied by white flowering honey plants, such as black locust (Robinia pseudo-acacia) in mixed forest ecosystems is of great importance for beekeepers in determining the productive potential of the region and choosing a place for an apiary.","PeriodicalId":7846,"journal":{"name":"AgriEngineering","volume":" 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139626878","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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