Search Results (23)

Accurate crop yield prediction is essential for sugarcane growers, as it enables them to predict harvested biomass, guiding critical decisions regarding acquiring agricultural inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides, the timing and execution of harvest operations, and cane field renewal strategies. This study is based on an experiment conducted by researchers from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), who employed a UAV-mounted LiDAR and multispectral imaging sensors to monitor two sugarcane field trials subjected to varying nitrogen (N) fertilization regimes in the Wet Tropics region of Australia. The predictive performance of models utilizing multispectral features, LiDAR-derived features, and a fusion of both modalities was evaluated against a benchmark model based on the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). This work utilizes the dataset produced by this experiment, incorporating other regressors and features derived from those collected in the field. Typically, crop yield prediction relies on features derived from direct field observations, either gathered through sensor measurements or manual data collection. However, enhancing prediction models by incorporating new features extracted through regressions executed on the original dataset features can potentially improve predictive outcomes. These extracted features, nominated in this work as meta-features (MFs), extracted through regressions with different regressors on original features, and incorporated into the dataset as new feature predictors, can be utilized in further regression analyses to optimize crop yield prediction. This study investigates the potential of generating MFs as an innovation to enhance sugarcane crop yield predictions. MFs were generated based on the values obtained by different regressors applied to the features collected in the field, allowing for evaluating which approaches offered superior predictive performance within the dataset. The kNN meta-regressor outperforms other regressors because it takes advantage of the proximity of MFs, which was checked through a projection where the dispersion of points can be measured. A comparative analysis is presented with a projection based on the Uniform Manifold Approximation and Projection (UMAP) algorithm, showing that MFs had more proximity than the original features when projected, which demonstrates that MFs revealed a clear formation of well-defined clusters, with most points within each group sharing the same color, suggesting greater uniformity in the predicted values. Incorporating these MFs into subsequent regression models demonstrated improved performance, with ${\overline{R}}^2$ values higher than 0.9 for MF Grad Boost M3, MF GradientBoost M5, and all kNN MFs and reduced error margins compared to field-measured yield values. The ${\overline{R}}^2$ values obtained in this work ranged above 0.98 for the AdaBoost meta-regressor applied to MFs, which were obtained from kNN regression on five models created by the researchers of CSIRO, and around 0.99 for the kNN meta-regressor applied to MFs obtained from kNN regression on these five models. Full article

Rural e-commerce, as a new industry and business model, shows high revenue potential, and new agricultural management entities are the main force of agricultural production in rural areas, but the overall participation of new agricultural management entities in rural e-commerce is still low. Therefore, this paper explores the factors affecting the participation of new agricultural management entities in rural e-commerce to increase their participation rate and thus enhance their sustainable business capacity. Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior, this paper empirically analyzes the factors influencing the rural e-commerce participation behavior of new agricultural management entities using structural equation modeling. It adopts multivariate ordered logistic regression modeling and multi-group structural equation modeling to explore the influence factors on the participation behaviors of different types of new agricultural management entities’ e-commerce participation behavior influence factor differences. The empirical results show that subjective norms, behavioral attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and social environment of new agricultural management entities have a significant positive effect on behavioral intention and an indirect impact on participation behavior; the perceived behavioral control and behavioral intention of new agricultural management entities have a direct and significant positive effect on participation in rural e-commerce behaviors; behavioral intention plays a mediating role in the relationship between perceived behavioral control and participation behavior, and the control variables have a significant positive effect on the participation behavior of different types of new agricultural management entities. The control variables for different types of new agricultural management entities participate in the rural e-commerce behavior of the influencing factors. There are significant differences; subjective norms, behavioral attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and other variables on different types of new agricultural management entities participate in the intention to join in the participation of different types of behavior and participation in the behavior of the existence of a different degree of significant positive impact. Therefore, to stimulate new agricultural management entities to participate in rural e-commerce enthusiasm, the actual needs of new agricultural management entities to carry out targeted e-commerce training, as well as different types of new agricultural management entities to develop differentiated e-commerce support strategies, to enhance their ability to operate sustainably. Full article

The world is experiencing an energy transition, migrating from fossil fuels to renewables, which are usually intermittent and, therefore, require flexibility to keep the power system reliable. Although system flexibility is a well-known theme of research, the question “What is a fair cost for flexibility?” remains to be answered. The present paper proposes a metric to estimate the value of a flexible resource to a power system. This metric is especially important in hydroelectric systems, where the flexibility of the hydro portfolio is uncertain and subject to seasonal changes and other considerations such as agricultural use. The valuation of a flexible resource by its cost–benefit is necessary since its installation generates operational savings to the entire system. A combined project cost and system overall savings is proposed to assess the net cost of a flexible resource. The net cost of flexibility can be used as a metric to rank flexibility candidates in systems with large amounts of renewable energy. A simplified case study of the Brazilian energy system is presented, and the flexibility solutions are evaluated according to the new metric. Results show how different technologies impact the system overall costs and the importance of analyzing system needs (both short and medium terms) when planning the expansion of flexibility in hydro systems. Full article

Unlike the definition of absolute poverty in international society, rural poverty in China is characterized by farmers’ low ability to increase their income, and the unsustainability of income increases. This study examines farming households’ issues with increasing their incomes via financial aid from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). Through quantile regression and stepwise regression models, this paper studies two ways in which IFAD loan projects can affect farmers’ income: by directly promoting increases in farmers’ income and by indirectly promoting increases in farmers’ income through newly operational agricultural entities. This paper uses the entropy weight and comprehensive evaluation methods to construct an IFAD evaluation index system to evaluate the endogenous development ability of farmers participating in IFAD loan projects. Our empirical results show that IFAD projects significantly and positively affect farmers’ income. Our heterogeneity analysis shows that IFAD projects have varied effects on farmers’ income growth at different income levels; the lower the income level, the more pronounced the promotion. IFAD loan projects promote farmers’ incomes through newly operational agricultural entities, the mechanism of which is their ESG performances. On average, the anti-poverty masses and areas participating in IFAD loan projects show a robust endogenous development impetus. Full article

Agricultural product prices are subject to various uncertainties, including unpredictable weather conditions, pest infestations, and market fluctuations, which can significantly impact agricultural yields and productivity. Accurately assessing and understanding price is crucial for farmers, policymakers, and stakeholders in the agricultural sector to make informed decisions and implement appropriate risk management strategies. This study used the ordered weighted average (OWA) operator and its extensions as mathematical aggregation techniques incorporating ordered weights to capture and evaluate the factors influencing price variation. By generating different vectors related to different inputs to the traditional formulation, it is possible to aggregate information to calculate and provide a new view of the outcomes. The results of this research can help enhance risk management practices in agriculture and support decision-making processes to mitigate the adverse effects of price. Full article

Reducing the use of fungicides, insecticides, and herbicides in order to limit environmental pollution and health risks for agricultural operators and consumers is one of the goals of European regulations. In fact, the European Commission developed a package of measures (the European Green Deal) to promote the sustainable use of natural resources and strengthen the resilience of European agri-food systems. As a consequence, new plant protection products, such as biostimulants, have been proposed as alternatives to agrochemicals. Their application in agroecosystems could potentially open new scenarios regarding the microbiota. In particular, the vineyard microbiota and the microbiota on the grape surface can be affected by biostimulants and lead to different wine features. The aim of this work was to assess the occurrence of a possible variation in the mycobiota due to the biostimulant application. Therefore, our attention has been focused on the yeast community of grape bunches from vines subjected to the phytostimulant BION^®50WG treatment. This work was carried out in the CREA-VE experimental vineyard of Vitis vinifera cv. Barbera in Asti (Piedmont, Italy). The composition of fungal communities on grapes from three experimental conditions such as IPM (integrated pest management), IPM+BION^®50WG, and IPM+water foliar nebulization was compared by a metabarcoding approach. Our results revealed the magnitude of alpha and beta diversity, and the microbial biodiversity index and specific fungal signatures were highlighted by comparing the abundance of yeast and filamentous fungi in IPM and BION^®50WG treatments. No significant differences in the mycobiota of grapevines subjected to the three treatments were detected. Full article

Plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) and other living organisms can help with the challenges of modern agriculture. PGPB offer ever-expanding possibilities for science and commerce, and the scientific results have been very advanced in recent years. In our current work, we collected the scientific results of recent years and the opinions of experts on the subject. Opinions and results on soil–plant relations, as well as the importance of PGPB and the latest related experiences, are important topics of our review work, which highlights the scientific results of the last 3–4 years. Overall, it can be concluded from all these observations that the bacteria that promote plant development are becoming more and more important in agriculture almost all over the world, thus, promoting more sustainable and environmentally conscious agricultural production and avoiding the use of artificial fertilizers and chemicals. Since many mechanisms of action, namely biochemical and operational processes, are still under investigation, a new emerging scientific direction is expected in the coming years with regard to PGPB, microbial, and other plant growth-stimulating substances, in which omics and microbial modulation also play a leading role. Full article

Robots, which have mostly been effective in areas such as industrial, agricultural, and production facilities, have started to take a place in the service sector, as their technologies have become lower in cost and more easily accessible. This situation has attracted the attention of companies and researchers and has accelerated studies on this subject. In this study, an algorithm was developed for the autonomous mobile robot to serve in industrial areas. In line with this study, it was ensured that the autonomous mobile robot mapped the working environment, determined the working station in this environment, and then carried out transport operations between these working stations in accordance with a given work order. After the mobile robot fulfilled the work order, it went into a waiting state until a new work order was received. For the mobile robot to save energy, it was ensured that it waited close to the point where the work order came in the most, by means of machine learning in the waiting position. The developed algorithms were designed using the NI LabVIEW environment and then simulated in the RobotinoSIM environment and physically tested using the Robotino autonomous mobile robot platform. The experimental results showed that mapping and location reporting using an RGB camera, odometry, and a QR code eliminated permanent location errors, and the robot completed 50 work orders with 100% accuracy. Full article

Most of the domestic wholesale markets have many operating entities, and the level of organization and scale is not high; therefore, at this stage, building a shared business platform and carrying out common distribution is an important way to improve the overall efficiency of the wholesale market distribution operations and the level of the intensive utilization of key resources such as vehicles. Carrying out common distribution requires the formation of a good synergy mechanism among the participating subjects, in which the design of a scientific and reasonable benefit distribution scheme, especially in balancing the relationship between government resources and social resources, is particularly important. As the benefit distribution of cooperation is affected by the dynamic changes of the resource input ratio, the distribution operation scale, the risk taking, and other factors, this paper establishes a multi-weight interval Shapley value method benefit distribution model, which reflects the effect of the key parameter variables. Through the empirical analysis of Beijing’s wholesale markets for agricultural products, the results show that the revised benefit distribution is more in line with the interest demands among multiple subjects and is positively correlated with the contribution degree among the participating subjects, which can better mobilize the cooperation enthusiasm of the participating enterprises and provide a new methodological path to solve the problem of common distribution in wholesale markets. The distribution model constructed in this paper further enriches the relevant research content in the field of common distribution and is of reference value for the benefit distribution problem that requires comprehensive consideration of the dynamic change in the multiple parameters affecting the relationship. Full article

The agricultural organization based on digital platforms in C2F (Company–Platform–Farmers) may be an effective way to reduce the increased risk of green production caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the specific mechanism and impact involved are unclear. Applying risk cognition and decision theory, we built the theoretical framework on platform organization, pandemic risk, perception value, and green production continuity, and ascertained the impact effects and path using the PLS-SEM method. We found that the risk of COVID-19 overflow had a significant impact on farmers’ green production continuity by mediating perception value, especially regarding reduced green technology adoption intention and increased cost of living. Utilizing perfect platform value cognition, participation co-operation, access and benefit distribution, and safeguard and restraint measures of platform organization in C2F, we offered a new approach to reduce the green production risks caused by COVID-19, such as material and labor shortages, financial pressure, sales channel blockages, and price volatility. We explained the behavior-moderating motivation of farmers with different risk preferences and subjective norms in relation to tackling COVID-19. We should aim to perfect the functions of digital platform organizations to optimize the benefit linkages in C2F, accelerate farmers’ digitization ability cultivation to increase the cognitive risk level, and strengthen the policy guidance of COVID-19 prevention to reduce the influence of farmers’ subjective norms. Full article

A portable and sensitive time-resolved biosensor for capturing very low intensity light emission is a promising avenue to study plant delayed fluorescence. These weak emissions provide insight on plant health and can be useful in plant science as well as in the development of accurate feedback indicators for plant growth and yield in applications of agricultural crop cultivation. A field-based delayed fluorescence device is also desirable to enable monitoring of plant stress response to climate change. Among basic techniques for the detection of rapidly fluctuating low intensity light is photon counting. Despite its vast utility, photon counting techniques often relying on photomultiplier tube (PMT) technology, having restricted use in agricultural and environment measurements of plant stress outside of the laboratory setting, mainly due to the prohibitive cost of the equipment, high voltage nature, and the complexity of its operation. However, recent development of the new generation solid-state silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) single photon avalanche diode array has enabled the availability of high quantum efficiency, easy-to-operate, compact, photon counting systems which are not constrained to sophisticated laboratories, and are accessible owing to their low-cost. In this contribution, we have conceived, fabricated and validated a novel SiPM-based photon counting device with integrated plug-and-play excitation LED, all housed inside a miniaturized sample chamber to record weak delayed fluorescence lifetime response from plant leaves subjected to varying temperature condition and drought stress. Findings from our device show that delayed fluorescence reports on the inactivation to the plant’s photosystem II function in response to unfavorable acute environmental heat and cold shock stress as well as chronic water deprivation. Results from our proof-of-concept miniaturized prototype demonstrate a new, simple and effective photon counting instrument is achieved, one which can be deployed in-field to rapidly and minimally invasively assess plant physiological growth and health based on rapid, ultra-weak delayed fluorescence measurements directly from a plant leaf. Full article

The worn-out nozzles of field sprayers cause agricultural treatment to be uneven and therefore ineffective. Spray nozzles are consumable elements of the field sprayer that are subject to inspection and in the event of their excessive wear should be replaced with new ones to ensure the proper execution of agricultural treatment. The aim of the study is to propose, using operational research methods, an expert methodology allowing further operation of worn-out and often expensive sprayer nozzles, including standard, universal, anti-drift, or ejector nozzles. The previous attempts, performed with the use of the random computer optimisation method, did not guarantee a global solution in the entire population of all possible permutations without repetitions of 24 worn-out nozzles (for a field boom with a width of 12 m) or even estimating approximation to this solution. The process of measuring the wear of nozzles, the simulation of the entire virtual field boom, and the permutation algorithm proposed here allow you to specify a suboptimal solution of an NP-hard problem separately for each sprayer, i.e., to indicate in a very short time such a permutation out of 24! ≈ 6.20448 × 10⁺²³ permutations of nozzles with variable degrees of wear, which is close to the optimal permutation of used nozzles on the field sprayer boom, in terms of the coefficient of variation. The use of expert methodology allows for reducing the operating costs of sprayers by using a relatively cheap automated expert service instead of the costly purchase of a set of new nozzles for field sprayers. Many areas of application of this methodology have been indicated. Full article

Cystic Echinococcosis (CE) is a severe zoonosis caused by the larval stage of the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus. These parasites are naturally transmitted between canid definitive hosts that harbour the adult stage in the intestine, and mainly ungulate intermediate hosts, with larval cysts developing in their internal organs. The close coexistence between dog and sheep with incorrect hygiene management are the most important factors for the persistence of this parasitic pathology. The Educational Farms (EF) are farms and agritourisms suitably equipped to carry out training activities for people interested in farm practices and agricultural processing, in particular student groups. Public attendance of farms represents a new potential risk factor for the zoonoses transmission. Consumption of contaminated food and water in combination with contact or playing with domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) are possible routes of zoonoses human infection. In fact, Echinococcus spp. eggs may persist in the environment up to several months at low temperatures and moist conditions, having the chance of contaminating different matrices and surfaces. The aim of this investigation was to study environmental contamination by parasitic elements as a risk for zoonoses, such as Echinococcus spp. A total of 116 samples (35 of water, 33 of soil, 23 of vegetables, 25 of dog faeces) were collected in 30 EF in Sardinia. Samples were subjected to biomolecular investigation for the research of specific gene sequences of Echinococcus granulosus, Echinococcus multilocularis and Taenia spp. The study allowed to identify eight positive EF due to the presence of Echinococcusgranulosus in eight dog faeces samples and one positive EF due to the presence of Taenia spp. in a water sample. The work has allowed to develop and harmonise the diagnostic methods and operating protocols essential for controlling the spread of the CE to create “One Health” intervention plans in high endemic areas through the implementation of SOP (standard operating procedures) for monitoring the pathology in animals, humans and environment. Full article

A consultative and cooperative perspective on water management is vital in regional sustainability. However, previous approaches often failed to consider the complex trade-offs involved in water resource allocation. This study explores theoretical perspectives on regional integration as a policy goal through the process of water allocation. The main purpose is to explain new areas created by allocation and regional integration with local-scale cases. The connections between post-structuralism, fragmentation, and heterogeneity are explored with five case studies of groundwater zoning: a Xinyuan buried pipe compensation, a Ligang well closure and power shutdown, a Dachaozhou artificial lake, a Wandan hold back well, and a Meinong anti-deep-water wells. Along with the case studies, secondary literature, interviews, and a field investigation were used. The time span of water conflicts was from 1973 to 2019, and the spatial scope is the groundwater distribution area. The study found that regional integration and dynamic balance are each other’s subject and object, which was empirically verified through the water conflicts in agriculture and the semiconductor industry. Regional integration comes through scaled and flexible methods of operation, and is produced through special market agents and post-structural spaces. In the process, the imbalance caused by conflict must also be adjusted and evolved through cooperation, competition, and negotiation to maintain the dynamic balance. This involves internal treatment of the local government, external integration of the central government, and technological evolution within the organization. Accordingly, several suggestions are proposed that may be helpful for sustainable water resource governance. In summary, this study makes up for the shortcomings of water management patterns constructed by simple spatial overlaying of regional integration. Our findings could effectively enhance negotiations and collaboration in water management for regional sustainability. Full article

A climate-friendly and CO₂-neutral energy supply for agricultural farms is the subject of investigation of this study. The supply concerns the internal economy (buildings and animal husbandry) as well as the production of synthetic fuels for outdoor work (cultivation of the fields). This energy is in demand with many customers, e.g., the dairy cooperative Arla Foods, whose goal is the production of cow’s milk with net-zero CO₂ emissions by the year 2050. The operational energy system considered here included renewable electricity generation, covering electricity consumption in the cowshed, battery storage for times without electricity generation, the production of synthetic fuels and feeding into the public power grid. Fluctuations depending on the day and the season were taken into account for electricity at 15-min intervals and for fuel per calendar week for one year. The aim was to determine the necessary capacities of renewable energy (RE) generation systems and production systems for synthetic fuel, as well as an economic evaluation with the calculation of the energy costs per kWh and the break-evens for the capital expenses (CapEx). Two different scenarios were developed using the example of a survey dairy farm with an annual electricity consumption of approximately 80,000 kWh in the cowshed and an annual diesel consumption of 35,000 L, corresponding to 350,000 kWh for field work. To ensure the energy supply, Scenario 1 required a photovoltaic system (PV) on the roof with an output of 125 kWp, a 250 kW small wind turbine, a battery with a storage capacity of 2 kWh and synthetic fuel production with an output of 210 kW. Scenario 2 required a 200 kWp PV system on the roof and a 520 kWp PV system in the open fields, a battery with a 105 kWh storage capacity and a synthetic fuel production facility with an output of 385 kW to cover the farm’s energy needs. The results showed that a farm’s own electricity production is currently profitable; however, a farm’s production of synthetic fuel still has comparatively high costs and therefore is not yet profitable. Further technical advances, rising prices of fossil fuels and economies of scale, e.g., larger cooperatively-operated plants, could help new technology to make a breakthrough. Full article