The overall goal of this research is to develop ground-based technologies for disease detection and mapping which can maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of cotton root rot (CRR) treatments. Accurately mapping CRR could facilitate a much more economical solution than treating entire fields. Three cotton fields around CRR-prone areas of Texas have been the sites for three years of data collection. A complete soil apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) survey was conducted for each field with an EM38DD sensor. Multiple linear regression was used to relate physical and chemical soil properties to the ECa values obtained from the EM38DD. The variability in soil ECa measurements can be best accounted for using calcium carbonate levels as well as clay and sand contents in the soil. T-tests were used to determine that soil pH, clay, sand, and inorganic carbon content were significantly related to CRR incidence as determined by aerial images of each location. Spectral data were obtained for freshly picked cotton leaves from healthy, disease-stressed, and dying or dead plants using an ASD VisNIR spectroradiometer. The leaf spectra were evaluated using linear discriminant analysis (LDA), the receiver operator characteristic, and wavelet analysis to relate them to classifications of infection level. It was determined that healthy and infected leaves can be correctly classified 85% of the time based on the spectral data. The results from this study suggest that differences in soil characteristics may not be pronounced enough to accurately map CRR in the soil; however, the precision treatment of CRR may possible using an optoelectronic sensor to diagnose infected plants based on leaf reflectance.

The collection of crop yield data has become much easier with the introduction of technologies such as the Global Positioning System (GPS), ground-based yield sensors, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). This explosive growth and widespread use of spatial data has challenged the ability to derive useful spatial knowledge. In addition, outlier detection as one important pre-processing step remains a challenge because the technique and the definition of spatial neighbourhood remain non-trivial, and the quantitative assessments of false positives, false negatives, and the concept of region outlier remain unexplored. The overall aim of this study is to evaluate different spatial outlier detection techniques in terms of their accuracy and computational efficiency, and examine the performance of these outlier removal techniques in a site-specific management context. In a simulation study, unconditional sequential Gaussian simulation is performed to generate crop yield as the response variable along with two explanatory variables. Point and region spatial outliers are added to the simulated datasets by randomly selecting observations and adding or subtracting a Gaussian error term. With simulated data which contains known spatial outliers in advance, the assessment of spatial outlier techniques can be conducted as a binary classification exercise, treating each spatial outlier detection technique as a classifier. Algorithm performance is evaluated with the area and partial area under the ROC curve up to different true positive and false positive rates. Outlier effects in on-farm research are assessed in terms of the influence of each spatial outlier technique on coefficient estimates from a spatial regression model that accounts for autocorrelation. Results indicate that for point outliers, spatial outlier techniques that account for spatial autocorrelation tend to be better than standard spatial outlier techniques in terms of higher sensitivity, lower false positive detection rate, and consistency in performance. They are also more resistant to changes in the neighbourhood definition. In terms of region outliers, standard techniques tend to be better than spatial autocorrelation techniques in all performance aspects because they are less affected by masking and swamping effects. In particular, one spatial autocorrelation technique, Averaged Difference, is superior to all other techniques in terms of both point and region outlier scenario because of its ability to incorporate spatial autocorrelation while at the same time, revealing the variation between nearest neighbours. In terms of decision-making, all algorithms led to slightly different coefficient estimates, and therefore, may result in distinct decisions for site-specific management. The results outlined here will allow an improved removal of crop yield data points that are potentially problematic. What has been determined here is the recommendation of using Averaged Difference algorithm for cleaning spatial outliers in yield dataset. Identifying the optimal nearest neighbour parameter for the neighbourhood aggregation function is still non-trivial. The recommendation is to specify a large number of nearest neighbours, large enough to capture the region size. Lastly, the unbiased coefficient estimates obtained with Average Difference suggest it is the better method for pre-processing spatial outliers in crop yield data, which underlines its suitability for detecting spatial outlier in the context of on-farm research.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:26:55Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2009-06-29Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:27:33Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 bedutti_ad_me_sjrp.pdf: 1999751 bytes, checksum: 437383410c3f4cc28c116c28e9f7054a (MD5) / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / O controle de plantas daninhas constitui um dos principais desafios no cultivo de área agrícolas. Quando presentes em quantidades descontroladas, estas plantas geram a diminuição na produtividade e ocasionam perdas significativas e indesejáveis. As perdas, aliadas ao alto custo de controle, motivam o desenvolvimento de ferramentas no auxílio a tomada de decisão, como mapas da distribuição de daninhas, visando o manejo localizado de herbicidas. Neste trabalho, considera-se a aplicação de um modelo espaço-temporal para a construção de mapas da distribuição de sementes de plantas daninhas em uma área agrícola de plantação de milho (Zea mays). Foram analisados dados reais, para as espécies Digitaria ciliaris, Euphorbia heterophilla L., Cenchrus echinatus L. e Bidens Pilosa L. e tamb´em dados simulados. O modelo envolve a combinação de estimação por krigagem e o filtro de Kalman. / The control of weeds is a major challenge in cultivation of agricultural areas. When present in uncontrolled quantities, these plants generate a decrease in productivity and cause significant and undesirable losses. The losses, combined with the high cost of control, motivate the development of tools to aid in taking decision, as maps of distribution of weed, to located handling of herbicides. In this work, was considered the application of a spatial-temporal model for construction of distribution maps of seed weeds in an agricultural area of corn plantation (Zea mays). Were analyzed real data, for the species Digitaria ciliaris, Euphorbia heterophilla L., Cenchrus echinatus L. and Bidens Pilosa L., and also simulated data. The model involves a combination of kriging estimation and Kalman filter.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-26T13:32:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 texto completo.pdf: 3277635 bytes, checksum: d8f87471e2b1a001fcaef930bd261f59 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-02-28 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Agribusiness covers a vast chain of production activities. Can be noted as one of the activities of this branch precision agriculture that relies often georeferenced information to describe through the spatial maps of certain areas. One technique that has high importance in this context is the Geostatistics, it provides obtaining thematic maps, considering the spatial dependence structure of the phenomenon under study. So this study presents a procedure to identify subareas for planting considering the spatial dependence of the variable of interest without the need for categorization. For both methodologies are addressed map algebra with the intention of incorporating measures of statistical association locally. In this way, we used the method of ordinary kriging in this Geostatistics and to measure the agreement of thematic maps used the Kappa index and linear correlation coefficient global and local. As main results can be noted that the agreement between the maps of localized form performed by Pearson's correlation shows that the spatial dependence models used ordinary kriging in place exerts influence in defining the thematic maps used in precision agriculture, aspect one that is not picked up used (in case agricultural) encodings of interpolated values (management zones) and draw up these global indices of agreement. / O agronegócio abrange uma vasta cadeia de atividades produtivas. Pode-se destacar como uma das atividades deste ramo a agricultura de precisão que se vale frequentemente de informações georreferenciadas para descrever por meio de mapas a variabilidade espacial de determinadas áreas. Uma técnica que apresenta relevada importância para este contexto é a Geoestatística, pois proporciona a obtenção de mapas temáticos, considerando a estrutura de dependência espacial do fenômeno em estudo. Assim este estudo apresenta um procedimento para identificar subáreas destinadas ao plantio considerando a dependência espacial da variável de interesse sem a necessidade de categorização. Para tanto são abordadas metodologias de álgebra de mapas com a intenção de incorporar medidas de associação estatística de forma local. Desde modo, foi utilizado o método de Krigagem Ordinária presente na Geoestatística e para medir a concordância dos mapas temáticos utilizou-se o índice Kappa e a coeficiente de correlação linear global e local. Como resultados principais pode-se destacar que a concordância entre os mapas de forma localizada evidencia que os modelos de dependência espacial utilizados na Krigagem Ordinária exercem influência local na definição dos mapas temáticos utilizados na agricultura de precisão, aspecto esse que não é captado se utilizadas (para o caso agrícola), codificações dos valores interpolados (zonas de manejo) e destas extrair-se índices globais de concordância.

Resumo: A crescente demanda por alimentos no mundo, com a mesma área agrícola e com os recursos financeiros para a aquisição de fertilizantes, cada vez mais escassos é inevitável à utilização de novas tecnologias para fazer frente a essa nova realidade, pois com o uso dessas pode-se produzir mais alimentos com menos fertilizantes. Na busca por novas tecnologias que fazem o processo produtivo mais eficiente é que surge a chamada "Agricultura de Precisão" utilizada como uma alternativa para aperfeiçoar o processo de produção agrícola. As ações que conduzem à chamada agricultura de precisão exigem diversas etapas para sua implementação. Contudo, uma das mais importantes está relacionada com o tratamento localizado das culturas, para isto, tem-se a necessidade de desenvolver equipamentos capazes de executar tais tarefas. Com esse intuito estudou-se o comportamento de um protótipo que tem como objetivo dosar e aplicar no momento do plantio, três fertilizantes sólidos simultâneos, que são: Nitrogênio, Fósforo e Potássio (N, P e K) em taxas variáveis de acordo com as quantidades desejáveis da cultura em questão. Para a avaliação do protótipo foi construída uma bancada de testes onde foram acoplados os dosadores helicoidais e seus respectivos motores elétricos de corrente contínua e três tanques para armazenamento de fertilizantes. Também foram utilizados equipamentos complementares tais como: uma fonte (12vdc); três drivers de potência (MOSFET); um Desktop; uma placa de aquisição e controle e um software de Instrumentação Virtual. Os ensaios foram realizados com o software de instrumentação e controle virtual (LabVIEW®), que teve como função, controlar a rotação dos eixos dos três motores de maneira independente, baseando-se em dados de um mapa de fertilidade do solo com localização fundamentada em informações geográficas, obtendo a vazão... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The increasing demand for food in the world with the same agricultural area and the financial resources to purchase fertilizes, more and more scarse it is inevitable to use new technologies to confront this new reality, because with the use of these can produce more food with less fertilizer. In the search for new tecnologies that make the production process more efficient arises the called "precision agriculture" used as an alternative to improve the agricultural production process. The action that lead to the called precision agriculture require several steps for its implementation. However, one of the most important is related to the localized treatment of cultures, for this, there is the need to develop equipment capable of performing such tasks. With this aim we studied the behavior of a prototype which aims to meter and apply at the planning moment three simultaneous solid fertilizers, which are: nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (N, P and K) with variable rates according with the desired quantities of the culture in question. For the evaluation of the prototype was built a test bench where engaged the helical dosers and their respective direct current electric motors and three tanks for storage of fertilizers. Were also used additional equipment such as: a source (12vdc), threee power drivers (MOSFET), a desktop, an acquisition board and control software and virtual instrumentation. The test were performed with the software virtual instrumentation and control (LabVIEW®), with had as its objective to control the rotation of the axes of the three engines independently, based on data from a map of soil fertility based on location information geographical, obtaining the mass flow of the desired product in the exact location and quatity needed for the plant, according to the size of grid soil sampling. The values of the mass flow rate determined by the time were compared with... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Orientador: Edson A. Capello Souza / Coorientador: João Eduardo Guarnetti dos Santos / Banca: José Paulo Molin / Banca: Bento Rodrigues de Pontes Junior / Mestre

Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are biomimetic sensing elements that combine the accuracy and highly specific binding affinity of a biosensor, with the robustness and reusability associated with artificial electrochemical sensors. This thesis investigates the application of a MIP sensor to address the challenge of phosphate detection in precision agriculture. Traditional chemical sensing approaches using portable electrochemical sensors display a significant cross-interference between inorganic phosphate and other nutrient ions. This is due to the low position of phosphate in the Hofmeister Selectivity Series for anions, its high electronegativity and its pH dependent structure, resulting in a molecule that is very difficult to detect. To address this challenge, a sensor was created by spin coating a phosphate selective MIP onto a substrate containing a series of electrodes. These electrode devices allowed for electrical measurements to be taken using an inductance, capacitance and resistance (LCR) testing station, and to observe the change in the materials dielectric constant as the binding sites become occupied by the target analyte. The devices underwent several design reiterations to produce an optimised setup consisting of 100 interdigitated chrome electrodes with a width of 1 μm and a separation distance of 1 μm on a quartz substrate. The final electrode design was used to carry out a nutrient cross-interference study across several polymer permutations. The purpose of this was to develop an optimised MIP formulation for binding specifically to inorganic phosphate ions. From this study, an optimal phosphate selective MIP was identified, based upon a binding site constructed from methacrylic acid around a diphenyl phosphate template molecule. During capacitance measurements, this MIP formulation demonstrated a clear preferential response to phosphate (1610 pF) over the average capacitance results observed following exposure to the competing nitrate (1286 pF) and sulphate (1212 pF) nutrients tested in the cross-interference study.

The world’s population is increasing and along with it, the demand for food. A novel parametric model (Volterra Non-linear Regressive with eXogenous inputs (VNRX)) is introduced for quantifying influences of individual and multiple soil properties on crop yield and normalised difference vegetation Index. The performance was compared to a random forest method over two consecutive years, with the best results of 55.6% and 52%, respectively. The VNRX was then implemented using high sampling resolution soil data collected with an on-line visible and near infrared (vis-NIR) spectroscopy sensor predicting yield variation of 23.21%. A hyperspectral imager coupled with partial least squares regression was successfully applied in the detection of fusarium head blight and yellow rust infection in winter wheat and barley canopies, under laboratory and on-line measurement conditions. Maps of the two diseases were developed for four fields. Spectral indices of the standard deviation between 500 to 650 nm, and the squared difference between 650 and 700 nm, were found to be useful in differentiating between the two diseases, in the two crops, under variable water stress. The optimisation of the hyperspectral imager for field measurement was based on signal-to-noise ratio, and considered; camera angle and distance, integration time, and light source angle and distance from the crop canopy. The study summarises in the proposal of a new method of disease management through suggested selective harvest and fungicide applications, for winter wheat and barley which theoretically reduced fungicide rate by an average of 24% and offers a combined saving of the two methods of £83 per hectare.

Este trabalho analisa as possibilidades de aplicação de redes de sensores sem-fio na agricultura, dentro do contexto da agricultura de precisão. É feita uma revisão bibliográfica genérica sobre redes de sensores sem-fio e específica sobre aplicação em agricultura. Oportunidades para aplicação real de redes de sensores neste ambiente são identificadas e caracterizadas. Uma investigação aprofundada do espaço de projeto de redes de sensores é apresentada. Com base em trabalhos publicados, é feita uma proposta de dimensões de espaço de projeto, como forma de caracterizar diferentes redes. Diversos trabalhos publicados são analisados através das dimensões propostas. Os requisitos para redes para uso agrícola são delineados e caracterizados nas dimensões de projeto. Em um segundo momento, a partir das dimensões propostas, é elaborado um modelo matemático para o funcionamento de redes de sensores. Este modelo permite explorar de forma rápida todas dimensões do espaço de projeto, verificando o impacto global na rede de decisões locais na implementação dos nós. Uma rede experimental foi implementada, sendo caracterizada segundo o modelo e posteriormente testada em condições próximas às reais de uso. Esta rede permitiu a obtenção de dados reais, auxiliou na identificação de oportunidade para uso em agricultura e contribuiu na analise de desempenho do modelo proposto. / This paper analyzes wireless sensor networks application possibilities in precision agriculture. A generic bibliographic review in the domain is done as well as a specific review about applications in agriculture. Real application opportunities in this domain were identified and characterized A deep investigation on wireless sensor networks design space is presented. A proposition of design space dimensions to characterize different networks is made based on published papers. Some previous works are analyzed using the proposed design dimensions. Requirements to the networks targeting agricultural use are delimited and characterized in these design dimensions. In a second moment a mathematical model to wireless sensor networks is proposed based on the design space dimensions. This model allows rapid design space exploration and also the verification of network impact of local node implementation decisions. A WSN was implemented and submitted to application tests. It was characterized according to the proposed model and also tested in conditions similar to the real ones. The experimental WSN allowed real data collection, helped to identified application opportunities in agriculture and contributed to analyze the behavior of the proposed model.

This study sought to describe the current state fertility levels by analyzing 105,342 soil samples from different regions of the state of Rio Grande do Sul assigned by CCGL Technology. Thus, about 42% of the samples need to correct soil acidity. Phosphorus was the element that needs more attention in the soil correction. Potassium is present in most samples above the critical level suggesting a poor response to application in current models. Correction sulfur has potential response to crop yields in soya. In a second step, we used the data to study the balance of nutrients in the soil. The data were normalized and CTCpH7,0 was the parameter of soil divided into classes considering the normal distribution with a standard deviation for each class. The results showed that the base saturation to achieve the desired pH varied according to CTCpH7,0v soil. Soils with low CTCpH7,0 present trend lower percentage base saturation than a soil with CTCpH7,0 high. It was also found that the CTCpH7,0 soil influences the availability of the potassium equilibrium saturation. Soils with higher CTCpH7,0 require larger amounts of potassium to reach the critical level of 3% CTCpH7,0. The next step was to correlate the levels of elements in the soil and its relation to the levels shown by leaf analysis. For that were conducted soil sampling in grid 2 ha in an area in the municipality of Cachoeira do Sul, RS. This area was located soybean and collected samples of leaves and plants when they were in the flowering stage in the same spots where they were taken soil samples. Reading was also performed with the equipment GreenSeeker order to correlate them with samples of soil and leaves.The CTCpH7,0 soil, directly influences the availability of potassium in equilibrium saturation. Soils with higher cation exchange capacity tend to require larger amounts of potassium to reach the critical level of 3% of CTCpH7,0. The results of tissue samples of whole plants soybean correlate with the levels of potassium in the soil and its percentage in CTCpH7,0. Nevertheless the use of the analysis of the 3rd trifoliate leaf from flowering as a parameter for recommendation requires further study, as the results do not make clear the relationships between these elements in the leaves and in the soil. / A agricultura de precisão vem se consolidando como uma técnica para melhoria dos níveis de fertilidade do solo. Inicialmente o presente trabalho procurou abordar a situação atual dos níveis de fertilidade através da análise de 105.342 amostras de solo provenientes de diferentes regiões do estado do Rio Grande do Sul cedidos pelo CCGL Tecnologia na camada de 0 a 10 cm. Cerca de 42% das amostras apresentaram necessidade de correção da acidez do solo. O fósforo foi o elemento que necessita maior atenção na correção de solo por apresentar 61,8% das amostras em níveis abaixo do teor crítico. O potássio apresentou 72,1% das amostras acima do teor crítico sugerindo baixa resposta a aplicação nos modelos atuais. A correção com enxofre apresenta potencial de resposta a produtividade da cultura da soja. Em um segundo momento, utilizou-se os dados a fim de estudar o equilíbrio dos nutrientes no solo. Foi utilizado a CTCpH7,0 do solo como parâmetro divido em classes, considerando a distribuição normal com um desvio padrão para cada classe, a fim de estudar o comportamento da saturação de bases e do potássio na saturação. Os resultados demonstraram que a saturação por bases, para atingir o pH desejado, variou conforme a CTCpH7,0 do solo. Solos com baixa CTCpH7,0 apresentam tendência de menores percentuais de saturação por bases que um solo com CTCpH7,0 alta. Também se verificou que a CTCpH7,0 do solo influencia a disponibilidade do potássio no equilíbrio de saturação. Solos com CTCpH7,0 acima de 18 cmolc.dm-³ necessitam quantidades de potássio superiores a 240 ppm para atingir o teor crítico de 3% da CTCpH7,0. O próximo passo foi correlacionar os teores dos elementos no solo e sua relação com os teores apresentados pelas análises foliares. Para isso foram realizados amostragens de solo em grid de 2 ha em uma área de produção de soja no município de Cachoeira do Sul, RS. Nesta área foi implantada a cultura da soja e coletadas amostras de folhas e plantas quando estas se encontravam no estádio de florescimento nos mesmos pontos onde foram retirada as amostras de solo. Também realizou-se a determinação com o equipamento Greenseeker a fim de correlacionar os resultados com as amostras de folha e solo. Os resultados das amostras de tecido de plantas inteiras de soja se correlacionam com os teores de potássio no solo e seu percentual na CTCpH7,0. Apesar disso a utilização da análise foliar do 3° trifólio a partir do florescimento como parâmetro para recomendação ainda precisa ser melhor estudado, pois os resultados não deixam claras as relações entre os elementos nas folhas e estes no solo.

The development and economic growth in Paraguay are highly dependent on agriculture, which in recent years has undergone an expansion. The computerization of operations for managing the crops and the search for improvements based on localized management of inputs and productivity of crops that involve the use of geotechnology and global positioning systems (GPS) applied in the management of agricultural crops, the production of meshes for the realization of georeferenced soil sampling, the structuring of a digital terrain model for mapping of fertility and productivity, variable rate application of inputs, statistical analyzes and interpretation of maps, geostatistics have a promising future in rural management. With this adaptation work to Paraguay of Campeiro CR System, it seeks to meet the need of Paraguay to have software adapted to regional conditions to develop their agriculture projects in their areas of precision agriculture. Therefore, it was translated into Spanish the application of Precision Agriculture and were inserted Departments and Districts of Paraguay, as well as the bands interpretation of various attributes of soil fertility for the generation of maps of fertility according to criteria calibrated with local studies in Paraguay and has been validated tools for Precision Agriculture System through a case study conducted with a plot and a producer of Paraguay, determining spatial variability in soil attributes, and also held a tutorial of the changes affected the operation for use in country with their adaptations to the system to its application in Paraguay agriculture. / O desenvolvimento e o crescimento econômico do Paraguai são altamente dependentes do setor agrícola, o qual nos últimos anos tem passado por uma expansão. A informatização para o gerenciamento das operações nas lavouras e a busca de melhoras baseadas no manejo localizado dos insumos e da produtividade dos cultivos que envolvem o uso de geotecnologias como sistemas de posicionamento global (GPS) aplicadas no manejo de culturas agrícolas, a elaboração de malhas para a realização da amostragem georreferenciada do solo, a estruturação de modelos digitais do terreno para a elaboração de mapas de fertilidade e de produtividade, a aplicação da taxa variável de insumos, as análises estatísticas e a interpretação de mapas, geoestatística, entre outras ferramentas, têm um futuro promissório na gestão rural. Com este trabalho de adaptação para o Paraguai do Sistema CR Campeiro, busca-se satisfazer a necessidade que tem o Paraguai de contar com um software adaptado a suas condições regionais para desenvolver projetos de agricultura de precisão nas suas áreas agrícolas. Para isso, foi traduzido para o espanhol o aplicativo de Agricultura de Precisão e foram inseridos os Departamentos e Distritos do Paraguai, assim como os níveis de fertilidade dos diversos atributos da fertilidade de solo para a geração dos mapas de fertilidade segundo critérios calibrados com pesquisas locais no Paraguai e foram validadas as ferramentas de Agricultura de Precisão do Sistema através de um estudo de caso realizado com um talhão e um produtor do Paraguai, determinando variabilidade espacial em atributos de solos, assim também se realizou um tutorial do funcionamento das mudanças atingidas para uso no país com suas respectivas adaptações no sistema visando a sua aplicação na agricultura paraguaia.