Transforming scientific research and development in precision agriculture : the case of hyperspectral sensing and imaging : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor in Philosophy in Agriculture at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand. EMBARGOED until 30 September 2023.

Embargoed until 30 September 2023There has been increasing social and academic debate in recent times surrounding the arrival of agricultural big data. Capturing and responding to real world variability is a defining objective of the rapidly evolving field of precision agriculture (PA). While data have been central to knowledge-making in the field since its inception in the 1980s, research has largely operated in a data-scarce environment, constrained by time-consuming and expensive data collection methods. While there is a rich tradition of studying scientific practice within laboratories in other fields, PA researchers have rarely been the explicit focal point of detailed empirical studies, especially in the laboratory setting. The purpose of this thesis is to contribute to new knowledge of the influence of big data technologies through an ethnographic exploration of a working PA laboratory. The researcher spent over 30 months embedded as a participant observer of a small PA laboratory, where researchers work with nascent data rich remote sensing technologies. To address the research question: “How do the characteristics of technological assemblages affect PA research and development?” the ethnographic case study systematically identifies and responds to the challenges and opportunities faced by the science team as they adapt their scientific processes and resources to refine value from a new data ecosystem. The study describes the ontological characteristics of airborne hyperspectral sensing and imaging data employed by PA researchers. Observations of the researchers at work lead to a previously undescribed shift in the science process, where effort moves from the planning and performance of the data collection stage to the data processing and analysis stage. The thesis develops an argument that changing data characteristics are central to this shift in the scientific method researchers are employing to refine knowledge and value from research projects. Importantly, the study reveals that while researchers are working in a rapidly changing environment, there is little reflection on the implications of these changes on the practice of science-making. The study also identifies a disjunction to how science is done in the field, and what is reported. We discover that the practices that provide disciplinary ways of doing science are not established in this field and moments to learn are siloed because of commercial constraints the commercial structures imposed in this case study of contemporary PA research

Effect of substituting fresh-cut perennial ryegrass with fresh-cut white clover on bovine milk fatty acid profile

BACKGROUND: Including forage legumes in dairy systems can help address increasing environmental/economic concerns about perennial ryegrass monoculture pastures. This work investigated the effect of substituting fresh-cut grass with increasing quantities of fresh-cut white clover (WC) on milk fatty acid (FA) profile and transfer efficiency of dietary linoleic (LA) and α-linolenic (ALNA) acids to milk fat. Three groups of three crossbred dairy cows were used in a 3×3 cross-over design. Dietary treatments were 0 g kg-1 WC+600 g kg-1 grass, 200 g kg-1 WC+400 g kg-1 grass, 400 g kg-1 WC+200 g kg-1 grass. All treatments were supplemented with 400 g kg-1 concentrates on a dry matter basis. Cows had a 19-d adaptation period to the experimental diet before a 6-d measurement period in individual tie stalls. RESULTS: Increasing dietary WC did not affect dry matter intake, milk yield or milk concentrations of fat, protein or lactose. Milk polyunsaturated FA concentrations (total omega-3, total omega-6, LA and ALNA) and transfer efficiency of LA and ALNA were increased with increasing dietary WC supply. CONCLUSION: Inclusion of WC in pastures may increase concentrations of nutritionally beneficial FA, without influencing milk yield and basic composition, but any implications on human health cannot be drawn

Power, Ownership and Tourism in Small Islands: evidence from Indonesia

This paper examines the political economy of tourism development in islands and uses Gili Trawangan, Indonesia as a case study. A longitudinal study drawing from fieldwork contributes to the discussion of how different types of power shape community development, and how the effects of hosting international tourism play an explicit role. Analysis using Barnett and Duvall’s Taxonomy of Power model reveals the interplay between the types of power over time and its effects on different actors. Results raise questions for Less Developed Countries, and particularly islands, concerning the social costs of using tourism for development

Behavioural and physiological responses of individually housed dairy calves to change in milk feeding frequency at different ages

peer reviewedThis study aimed to use a range of non-invasive monitoring technologies to investigate the behavioural and physiological responses of individually housed dairy calves to age at change in milk replacer (MR) feeding frequency. Forty-eight Holstein Friesian calves were individually penned and fed MR (625 g/d) as solids in one of three feeding regimes: (i) once-a-day feeding commencing at age 14 d (OAD14), (ii) once-a-day feeding commencing at age 28 d (OAD28) and (iii) twice-a-day feeding (TAD). Several behavioural (automatic activity sensors), physiological (infrared [IR] thermography and heart rate variability [HRV]) and haematological indicators were used to examine calf responses. Reduction in milk feeding frequency at 14 or 28 d of age increased daily concentrate intakes and drinking water consumption throughout the pre-wean period. Calf lying behaviour was unaffected by reduction in milk feeding frequency; however, TAD calves recorded a significant decrease in total daily lying time during the post-wean period compared with OAD28s. There was no effect of treatment on IR eye or rectal temperature throughout the experiment; however, there was an effect of age, with IR temperature decreasing as calf age increased. OAD14 calves tended to have decreased HRV at days 14 and 16, which is suggestive of an increased stress load. The findings suggest that under high levels of animal husbandry and whilst maintaining the same amount of milk powder/d (625 g/d), reduction in milk feeding frequency from twice to once daily at 28 d can occur without significant impact to behavioural, performance and physiological parameters assessed here

An examination of some factors which may influence the production potential of grazed and conserved forages by ruminants

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:DXN001911 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Hyperspectral imaging of hill country farms : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of Agriculture and Horticulture at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand. EMBARGOED until 16 September 2023.

Embargoed until 16 September 2023This thesis uses hyperspectral aerial imagery, processed and classified using a Support Vector Machine (SVM) approach applied to categorise the New Zealand hill farming environment. The analysis of hyperspectral imagery presented in this thesis provides information on land use and land cover that can assist land management decision-making for hill country farming. The ability of the approach to provide a mechanism to examine complex and inaccessible environments and capture information in fine detail makes it relevant to the management of other heterogeneous environments and marginal farming systems worldwide. Precision farming techniques, used regularly in other farming sectors, hold the promise to better understand the hill farming landscape and therefore improve strategic management decisions. Pasture is the primary resource on the farm but due to the heterogenous nature of the hill farm landscape, the pasture area is currently only estimated. Aerially applied fertiliser applications represent the largest single input for these farms and are also a major source of nutrient contamination in waterways so finding ways to reduce costs and environmental damage are important. Accurate base landscape information can improve management decisions, the accuracy of valuations, income expectations from lending organisations and the overall prosperity of the hill farming sector. Currently farmers and external groups must make major financial and strategic decisions with local expert opinion which is difficult to validate or question. Therefore, information derived from the hyperspectral classification is also shown to have benefits for strategic farm management decision-making and the wider farming community.--Shortened abstrac

The classification of hill country vegetation from hyperspectral imagery

Remotely sensed hyperspectral data provides the possibility to categorise and quantify the farm landscape in great detail, supplementing local expert knowledge and adding confidence to decisions. This paper examines the novel use of hyperspectral aerial imagery to classify various components of the hill country farming landscape. As part of the Ravensdown / MPI PGP project, “Pioneering to Precision”, eight diverse farms, five in the North and three in the South Island were sampled using the AisaFENIX hyperspectral imager. The resulting images had a 1m spatial resolution (approx.) with 448 spectral bands from 380 – 2500 nm. The primary aim of the PGP project is to develop soil fertility maps from spectral information. Images were collected in tandem with ground sampling and timed to coincide with spring and autumn seasons. Additional classification of the pasture components of two farms are demonstrated using various data pre-processing and classification techniques to ascertain which combination would provide the best accuracy. Classification of pasture with Support Vector Machines (SVM) achieved 99.59% accuracy. Classification of additional landscape components on the same two farms is demonstrated. Components classified as non-pasture ground cover included; water, tracks/soil, Manuka, scrub, gum, poplar and other tree species. The techniques were successfully used to classify the components with high levels of accuracy. The ability to classify and quantify landscape components has numerous applications including; fertiliser and farm operational management, rural valuation, strategic farm management and planning.fals