Conservative precision agriculture: first economic and energetic assessments within the Agricare project

The integration of conservation tillage techniques with the principles of site-specific management characterising precision agriculture is an innovative feature aimed to achieve better economic and environmental sustainability, increasingly required by Community agricultural policies

A Feasibility Study on the Use of a Structured Light Depth-Camera for Three-Dimensional Body Measurements of Dairy Cows in Free-Stall Barns

Frequent checks on livestock\u2019s body growth can help reducing problems related to cow infertility or other welfare implications, and recognizing health\u2019s anomalies. In the last ten years, optical methods have been proposed to extract information on various parameters while avoiding direct contact with animals\u2019 body, generally causes stress. This research aims to evaluate a new monitoring system, which is suitable to frequently check calves and cow\u2019s growth through a three-dimensional analysis of their bodies\u2019 portions. The innovative system is based on multiple acquisitions from a low cost Structured Light Depth-Camera (Microsoft Kinect\u2122 v1). The metrological performance of the instrument is proved through an uncertainty analysis and a proper calibration procedure. The paper reports application of the depth camera for extraction of different body parameters. Expanded uncertainty ranging between 3 and 15 mm is reported in the case of ten repeated measurements. Coef\ufb01cients of determination R2> 0.84 and deviations lower than 6% from manual measurements where in general detected in the case of head size, hips distance, withers to tail length, chest girth, hips, and withers height. Conversely, lower performances where recognized in the case of animal depth (R2 = 0.74) and back slope (R2 = 0.12)

Integrated approach for prediction of centrifugal fertilizer spread patterns

The present paper proposes a numerical approach for prediction of behavior of those fertilizers spreaders based on centrifugal disc functioning. In particular results from finite element multi-body simulations provided by commercial software are used in order to define boundary conditions of field tests carried out concurrently. Results are then integrated into a mathematical model to rapidly generate distribution charts and distribution diagrams. Such integrated approach can be implemented to effectively calibrate a theoretical model which provides simulations on different machine settings conditions: as a final point simulations allow fast testing of different distribution conditions, helping definition of those which minimize the variability of the distribution itself

Determination of forest road surface roughness by kinect depth imaging

Roughness is a dynamic property of the gravel road surface that affects safety, ride comfort as well as vehicle tyre life and maintenance costs. A rapid survey of gravel road condition is fundamental for an effective maintenance planning and definition of the intervention priorities. Different non-contact techniques such as laser scanning, ultrasonic sensors and photogrammetry have recently been proposed to reconstruct three-dimensional topography of road surface and allow extraction of roughness metrics. The application of Microsoft Kinect\u2122 depth camera is proposed and discussed here for collection of 3D data sets from gravel roads, to be implemented in order to allow quantification of surface roughness. The objectives are to: i) verify the applicability of the Kinect sensor for characterization of different forest roads, ii) identify the appropriateness and potential of different roughness parameters and iii) analyse the correlation with vibrations recoded by 3-axis accelerometers installed on different vehicles. The test took advantage of the implementation of the Kinect depth camera for surface roughness determination of 4 different forest gravel roads and one well-maintained asphalt road as reference. Different vehicles (mountain bike, off-road motorcycle, ATV vehicle, 4WD car and compact crossover) were included in the experiment in order to verify the vibration intensity when travelling on different road surface conditions. Correlations between the extracted roughness parameters and vibration levels of the tested vehicles were then verified. Coefficients of determination of between 0.76 and 0.97 were detected between average surface roughness and standard deviation of relative accelerations, with higher values in the case of lighter vehicles

On-barn pig weight estimation based on body measurements by structure-from-motion (SfM)

Information on the body shape of pigs is a key indicator to monitor their performance and health and to control or predict their market weight. Manual measurements are among the most common ways to obtain an indication of animal growth. However, this approach is laborious and difficult, and it may be stressful for both the pigs and the stockman. The present paper proposes the implementation of a Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry approach as a new tool for on-barn animal reconstruction applications. This is possible also to new software tools allowing automatic estimation of camera parameters during the reconstruction process even without a preliminary calibration phase. An analysis on pig body 3D SfM characterization is here proposed, carried out under different conditions in terms of number of camera poses and animal movements. The work takes advantage of the total reconstructed surface as reference index to quantify the quality of the achieved 3D reconstruction, showing how as much as 80% of the total animal area can be characterized

Integrated approach for prediction of centrifugal fertilizer spread patterns

The present paper proposes a numerical approach for prediction of behavior of those fertilizers spreaders based on centrifugal disc functioning. In particular results from finite element multi-body simulations provided by commercial software are used in order to define boundary conditions of field tests carried out concurrently. Results are then integrated into a mathematical model to rapidly generate distribution charts and distribution diagrams.Such integrated approach can be implemented to effectively calibrate a theoretical model which provide simulations on different machine settings conditions: as a final point simulations allow fast testing of different distribution conditions, helping definition of those which minimize the variability of the distribution itself.

Exploitation of Mowed Grass from Green Areas by Means of Anaerobic Digestion: Effects of Grass Conservation Methods (Drying and Ensiling) on Biogas and Biomethane Yield.

Abstract: Grass from landscape management or from agricultural practices is currently destined mainly for composting, with the production of a valuable product; however, this process demands energy. Anaerobic digestion, instead, represents an energy-positive process that results in the production of fuel, biogas, and a fertilizer, namely digestate. Previous tests for the evaluation of biogas yield from freshly harvested grass gave promising results. However, for a practical exploitation of this resource, appropriate conservation is necessary in order to enable the daily load of digesters while reducing the loss of organic matter. The present work is focused on the evaluation of biogas and methane yield from dried and ensiled grass (without conditioning) in order to assess eventual biogas potential losses in comparison to digested fresh grass. Tests were performed with grass collected from riverbanks (Veneto, Northern Italy) in batch, lab scale digesters. Dry and ensiled grass showed a good potential for exploitation in the anaerobic digestion process, reaching biogas yields of 565.9 and 573.4 NL 19kgVS 121, respectively. Compared to the biogas yield of 639.7 NL 19kgVS 121 of the fresh grass, the conservation treatment determined yield reductions of 11.5% and 10.4% for dried and ensiled grass, respectively. However, considering the methane yields, conservation treatments showed lower reductions, amounting to 4.8% for dry grass and 0.5% for ensiled grass; presumably the higher concentration of organic acids in ensiled grass determined a higher methane content in biogas and the consequently lower reduction of methane yield

Influence of automatic feeding systems on design and management of dairy farms

During the last decades, many dairy farmers have actively advanced their farms toward automation. Automatic concentrate dispensers and automatic milking systems have been utilised for years, and several manufacturers have introduced automatic feeding systems (AFS). AFSs allow for the increase in frequency of feed distribution with significant advantages in terms of health and production. Furthermore, they provide a reduction of man labour related to preparation of feed, distribution, and propelling the ration closer to the feeding rack. The present research was focused on the monitoring of a dairy farm, located in the Veneto region of Italy, during the transition from a conventional feeding system (CFS), based on a tractor operated mixing wagon, to an automatic system equipped with stationary feeding hoppers, mixing unit, and distribution wagon operating on rail. The article reports a comparative analysis of the structural modifications required for the adoption of AFS, including an analysis of the AFS/CFS systems based on their functionality, energy, and man labour requirements. In the case study, AFS represented an affordable way to reduce covered area of the housings, as a result of the reduction in width of foraging lane and the reduction of manger front length. In addition, AFS demonstrated a reduction in labour requirements and improvement of quality and consistency of work when feeding total mixed ration. Finally, the research was addressed to study dairy cow behaviour. A method for monitoring the feeding, resting, and standing indexes was applied to the CFS farm. As a preliminary result of this activity, a positive correlation between cow resting activity and milk production was discovered

Last generation instrument for agriculture multispectral data collection

In recent years, the acquisition and analysis of multispectral data are gaining a growing interest and importance in agriculture. On the other hand, new technologies are opening up for the possibility of developing and implementing sensors with relatively small size and featuring high technical performances. Thanks to low weights and high signal to noise ratios, such sensors can be transported by different type of means (terrestrial as well as aerial vehicles), giving new opportunities for assessment and monitoring of several crops at different growing stages or health conditions. The choice and specialization of individual bands within the electromagnetic spectrum ranging from the ultraviolet to the infrared, plays a fundamental role in the definition of the so-called vegetation indices (eg. NDVI, GNDVI, SAVI, and dozens of others), posing new questions and challenges in their effective implementation. The present paper firstly discusses the needs of low-distance based sensors for indices calculation, then focuses on development of a new multispectral instrument specially developed for agricultural multispectral analysis. Such instrument features high frequency and high resolution imaging through nine different sensors (1 RGB and 8 monochromes with relative band-pass filters, covering the 390 to 950 nm range). The instrument allows synchronized multiband imaging thanks to integrated global shutter technology, with a frame rate up to 5 Hz; exposure time can be as low as 1/5000 s. An applicative case study is eventually reported on an area featuring different materials (organic and non-organic), to show the new instrument potential. Last generation instrument for agriculture multispectral data collection. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317596952_Last_generation_instrument_for_agriculture_multispectral_data_collection [accessed Jul 11, 2017]

Energy evaluation of grass residues supply chain from non-cultivated areas for biogas feeding

The increasing demand of biomass for biogas production is arousing some concerns about the sustainability of this process. In fact, the cultivation of energy crops in farmlands is becoming more noticeable, causing a competition with food production. The utilisation of grass from the management of territory as a feedstock for the anaerobic digestion process could contribute to reduce these problems, both on environmental and social aspects. In fact, grass exploitation, beyond minimize the competition with food, could reduce eutrophication and production of greenhouse gases, provide nutrients for the fertilization of the soils and make more profitable the management of landscape and the biogas production