The use of a laser scanner for measuring crop properties in three different crops in Central Greece

A sensing platform using a laser scanner was developed for data collection for the crop in the field. Crop height and biomass from three crops (sunflower, soybeans and winter wheat) were estimated. The sensing platform was mounted on a tractor, ran along the crop and measured the crop height and biomass. The relevant crop parameters were measured manually and compared to the values estimated based on instrument measurements. High correlation coefficients were generally observed and varied according to the growth stage of the crop. The correlation was both high for estimating crop height (r2=0.94 to r2=0.90) and for biomass mass (r2=0.879 to r 2=0.83)

Using laser scanner to map pruning wood in vineyards

Management zones in vineyards may be delineated by examining the spatial variability of various biophysical factors related to grapevine performance, such as vegetation indices. Among measurements of vine vigour, the counting and weighing of winter dormant canes at pruning is the most informative to indicate vine balance and is commonly performed manually by grape growers for management purposes. Therefore the mapping of dormant canes in winter could provide an alternative assessment of vine vigour within precision viticulture studies. Recently, laser scanners have been used to evaluate the geometry of tree canopies. In the present study, the potential of using laser scanner technology as an automated, easy and rapid way to perform mapping of the pruning wood across the vineyard was investigated. The results suggest that laser scanners offer great promise to characterize within-field variability in vine performance

Management strategies and practices for precision agriculture operations

This paper presents a holistic farm management system combining formal management strategies, personal management goals and the technology used. The personal management goals have been identified and analysed. Six field operations have been identified to be the major operations during a growing season. These field operations have been analysed in terms of management goals. The structure for this analysis includes a description of each management goal; the principal information needed; the decision objective and the decision outcome. The analysis of the maximised return management goal during the fertilising application is presented. A case study to combine the organic farming standard and the personal management goals for the major field operations is also presented

Management strategies and practices for precision agriculture operations

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A four nation survey of farm information management and advanced farming systems: A descriptive analysis of survey responses

The aim of this paper is to present the descriptive results of the survey responses that explore the perception of advanced information systems among four European countries: i.e. Denmark, Finland, Germany and Greece. The study evaluates the potential time savings associated with office tasks for information management and the likely adoption of advanced farming systems and precision farming practices. The survey results suggest that there are differences in weekly hours allocated to office tasks and its distribution across countries. However, there seems to be a potential benefit for introducing labour saving farm information management systems in relation to budgeting procedures, field planning and paperwork to deal with subsidy applications and public authorities. More than 40% of the respondent farms from Germany, Denmark and Finland seem to be unsure about usefulness of computers in dealing with official institutions and consumers. The extent to which the finding is linked to the budgeted time allocated to office tasks is worth pursuing. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved