Precision Orchard Management
A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Precision and Digital Agriculture".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2023) | Viewed by 424
Special Issue Editors
Interests: pesticide application technology; precision agriculture; spraying; pulse width modulation (PWM); computational fluid dynamics; turbulence; experimental fluid mechanics
Interests: pesticide application technology; precision agriculture; inline injection system; bionic engineering
Interests: vineyard; pesticide application; variable rate application; unmanned aerial vehicle; satellite; nanosatellite
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Fruit growing and other woody crops, such as vineyards, walnuts, pistachios, citrus, olive, or almond trees, have experienced significant growth in recent decades in terms of their cultivated area, productivity, and economic importance. However, the management of orchards poses great environmental challenges, taking into account the scarcity of resources, the lower number of people living in agricultural regions to the detriment of urban areas, and the increase in the world population that demands more food of higher quality. Conventional agricultural practices, from soil tillage to pesticide application, through irrigation systems or fruit harvesting methods, do not consider how intrinsic properties change within the target orchard (canopy dimensions, leaf density, fruit ripening levels, soil characteristics, slope, humidity, etc.). This implies a uniform mechanization process for the entire plot, which can cause the overuse of resources or mean that the procedure carried out is insufficient. In this sense, precision agriculture is trying to change this trend by considering the variability of the parameter on which it is intended to work within the same orchard. Precision management integrates sensors, satellites, DSS, UAVs, robotics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, solenoid valves, GNSS systems, and other technologies, including the latest advances in agriculture 5.0 related to tractors and autonomous machines. There are numerous research groups carrying out work around these techniques to achieve better management of agricultural resources, minimizing risks to the environment, reducing economic costs, optimizing resources, improving the quality of life of farmers, and increasing crop yields. In this sense, this Special Issue of Agronomy aims to disseminate the most recent works in order to continue advancing together for agriculture more productive and sustainable.
Dr. Ramon Salcedo
Dr. Zhihong Zhang
Dr. Francisco García-Ruíz
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- orchard management
- pesticide application technology
- precision agriculture
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