Location via proxy:   [ UP ]  
[Report a bug]   [Manage cookies]                
SlideShare a Scribd company logo

Scope and importance, principles and concepts of precision horticulture

•
•
D
Dr. M. Kumaresan Hort.

This document provides an overview of precision horticulture, including its key concepts, benefits, components, tools, and research areas. Precision horticulture aims to do the right agricultural activities in the right places and times. It recognizes field variability and regulates management accordingly using technologies like GPS, sensors, and GIS to assess spatial and temporal differences. This approach can increase yields and profits while reducing waste and environmental impacts by optimizing input use. The tools and research highlighted show potential for improving production efficiency and quality prediction in horticultural crops. However, realizing these benefits faces challenges in India due to small landholdings and lack of technical expertise.

Related slideshows

Precision farming 1
Precision farming 1Precision farming 1
Precision farming 1
 
Hi tech horticulture
Hi tech horticultureHi tech horticulture
Hi tech horticulture
 
Hybrid seed production of sorghum crop.
Hybrid seed production of sorghum crop.Hybrid seed production of sorghum crop.
Hybrid seed production of sorghum crop.
 
1 of 22
Download to read offline
Scope and importance, principles and concepts of precision horticulture Lecture No.: 1
 Precision farming or precision horticulture is about doing the right thing, in the right place, in the right way, at the right time.  This approach recognizes site-specific differences within fields and regulates management actions accordingly.  Managing crop production inputs such as water, seed, fertilizer etc to increase yield, quality, profit, reduce waste and becomes eco-friendly  concept based on observing, measuring and responding to inter and intra-field variability in crops Precision farming
Precision farming • New technologies such as Global Positioning Systems (GPS), sensors, satellites or aerial images and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are utilized to assess and analyze variations in agricultural and horticultural production Precision farming actually is application of technologies and principles to manage spatial and temporal variability associated with all aspects of horticultural production (Pierce and Nowak, 1999).
Need of precision horticulture • For assessing and managing field variability: We know that our fields have variable yields across the landscape because of variations to management practices, soil properties and/or environmental characteristics. • For doing the right thing in the right place at the right time: After assessing the variability precision horticulture allows management decisions to be made and implemented in right time in right places on small areas within larger fields. • For higher productivity: Since precision farming, proposes made management practices, it will definitely increase the yield per unit of land • For increasing the effectiveness of inputs: Increased productivity per unit of input used indicates increased efficiency of the inputs • For maximum use of minimum land unit: After knowing the land status, a farmer tries to improve each and every part of land and uses it for the production purpose
Precision Farming Includes • Landpreparation • Inputs (seed,planting material, fertilizeretc.) Irrigation • Plantprotection • Harvesting • Postharvesting • Storage • Transportation (cool chainsystems)
Components of Precision Farming • 1. Crop Characteristics : Stage of crop, crop health, nutrient requirements etc 2. Detailed soil layer with physical and chemical properties, depth, texture, nutrient status, salinity and toxicity, soil temperature, productivity potentialetc. 3. Micro-climate data (seasonal and daily) about crop canopy temperature, wind direction andspeed,humidityetc. 4. Surfaceand sub-surface drainage conditions, Irrigation facilities, water availability, andother planning inputs of interest 5. Farmmachinery andEquipment equipped with sensors
BENEFITS • Precision farming not only is potentially more economical, but it also reduces the amounts of chemicals released into the environment. Other benefits: • Improves crop yield & profit • Provides better information for making management decision • Provides more details & useful farm records • Reduces fertilizer costs • Reduces pesticide costs • Reduces pollution
Precision farming Models ensure……
• PF is useful guidance for adopting the systems of integrated management of soil health, nutrients, pests, water, energy and different crop genetic resources. • The main objective of adopting precision farming in India is to improve horticultural production, quality of environment and economic status of the farmers Precision farming
BASIC STEPS IN PRECISION FARMING 1. Assessing variation 2. Managing variation and 3. Evaluation There are three important issues regarding precision agriculture evaluation: • • • Economics Environment and Technology transfer
Tools in precision farming horticulture
Scope and importance, principles and concepts of precision horticulture
• It is an information and technology-based management system • These include – Global positioning systems – Geographic information systems – Yield monitoring devices – Soil, plant and pest sensors, – Remote sensing and – Variable rate technologies • This information and technology for site-specific farming allows farmers to identify, analyse and manage the spatial and temporal variability of soil and plants for optimum profitability, sustainability and protection of the environment.
Global Positioning System (GPS) • The most common use of GPS in horticulture is for yield mapping and variable rate fertilizer/pesticide applicator. • The GPS are important to find out the exact location in the field to assess the spatial variability and site-specific application of inputs. • The GPS operating in differential mode are capable of providing location accuracy of 1 m.
Geographical Information System (GIS) • The GIS is an organized collection of computer hardware, software, geographical data, and personnel designed to efficiently capture, store, update, manipulate, analyze and display all forms of geographically referenced information. • The GIS is the key to extracting value from information on variability. It is rightly called as the brain of precision farming • It can help in horticulture in two ways. • One is in linking and integrating GIS data (soil, crop, weather field history) with simulation models. • Other is to support the engineering component for designing implements and GPS guided machineries (variable rate applicators) for precision horticulture.
Current PF research in Horticulture Vigour mapping vineyards to assist with segregation Vigour mapped using NDVI or using laser scanning , relates to important wine quality characteristics (Brix, pH, bunch number and weight, berry size) = possible to segregate zones into more uniform fruit into the winery. * NDVI – Normalized Difference Vegetation Index Mapping soil water content and water stress to schedule irrigation Localized sensors (eg TDR), linked to soil/water/plant model, localized water controllers (eg microsprays, drippers) = water part of field at a time. * TDR- Time Domine Reflectometry
Current PF research in Horticulture • Orchard fruit yield maps – Picking bins identified and grading mapped back to a few trees in the orchard (eg fruit colour mapped to orchard) – Enable tracking through cool stores, fertility management of blocks, etc. Crop quality prediction Mild onions segregated for pungency based on sweetness (Brix>7.5%) and pungency (pyruvate<4 mg/kg) Predict sugar & pyruvate from crop / soil features during growth, develop a harvesting pattern to segregate.
Opportunities • Precision horticulture offers: – Production efficiency – manage inputs to match targets. Reduced environmental impact by linking inputs to targets. – In-field quality prediction – develop and manage segregations
Scope of precision farming in India • The concept of precision farming is not new for India. • Farmers try their best to do the things for getting maximum possible yield with information and technologies available to them but unless & until total information about their fields and advanced technologies are available, they cannot do precision farming in perfect sense. • In India, major problem is the small field size. • More than 58 percent of operational holdings in the country have size less than 1ha. • Only in the states of Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana and Gujarat more than 20 per cent of agricultural lands have operational holding size of more than four hectare.
• Similar implementation can also be carried out on the state farms. • There is a scope of implementing precision agriculture for crops like, rice and wheat especially in the states of Punjab and Haryana. • Commercial as well as horticultural crops also show a wider scope for precision agriculture in the cooperative farms. • Nearly two-third arable land in India is rain-fed. • The crop yields are very low (1t ha-1) and very good potential exists for increasing productivity of rain-fed Cropping systems. • When attached fields with the same crop are considered, it is possible to obtain fields of over 15 ha extent in which similar crop management are followed. • Such fields can be considered for the purpose of initiating the implementation of precision farming. Scope of precision farming in India
Drawbacks of precision farming • High cost: It has proven difficult to determine the cost benefits of precision agriculture management. At present, many of the technologies used are in their infancy, and pricing of equipment and services is hard to pin down. • Lack of technical expertise knowledge and technology: The success of precision agriculture depends largely on how well and how quickly the knowledge needed to guide the new technologies can be found (India spends only 0.3% of its agricultural Gross Domestic Product in Research and Development) • Not applicable or difficult/costly for small land holdings • Heterogeneity of cropping systems and market imperfections
Copy protected with Online-PDF-No-Copy.com

More Related Content

Scope and importance, principles and concepts of precision horticulture

  • 1. Scope and importance, principles and concepts of precision horticulture Lecture No.: 1
  • 2.  Precision farming or precision horticulture is about doing the right thing, in the right place, in the right way, at the right time.  This approach recognizes site-specific differences within fields and regulates management actions accordingly.  Managing crop production inputs such as water, seed, fertilizer etc to increase yield, quality, profit, reduce waste and becomes eco-friendly  concept based on observing, measuring and responding to inter and intra-field variability in crops Precision farming
  • 3. Precision farming • New technologies such as Global Positioning Systems (GPS), sensors, satellites or aerial images and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are utilized to assess and analyze variations in agricultural and horticultural production Precision farming actually is application of technologies and principles to manage spatial and temporal variability associated with all aspects of horticultural production (Pierce and Nowak, 1999).
  • 4. Need of precision horticulture • For assessing and managing field variability: We know that our fields have variable yields across the landscape because of variations to management practices, soil properties and/or environmental characteristics. • For doing the right thing in the right place at the right time: After assessing the variability precision horticulture allows management decisions to be made and implemented in right time in right places on small areas within larger fields. • For higher productivity: Since precision farming, proposes made management practices, it will definitely increase the yield per unit of land • For increasing the effectiveness of inputs: Increased productivity per unit of input used indicates increased efficiency of the inputs • For maximum use of minimum land unit: After knowing the land status, a farmer tries to improve each and every part of land and uses it for the production purpose
  • 5. Precision Farming Includes • Landpreparation • Inputs (seed,planting material, fertilizeretc.) Irrigation • Plantprotection • Harvesting • Postharvesting • Storage • Transportation (cool chainsystems)
  • 6. Components of Precision Farming • 1. Crop Characteristics : Stage of crop, crop health, nutrient requirements etc 2. Detailed soil layer with physical and chemical properties, depth, texture, nutrient status, salinity and toxicity, soil temperature, productivity potentialetc. 3. Micro-climate data (seasonal and daily) about crop canopy temperature, wind direction andspeed,humidityetc. 4. Surfaceand sub-surface drainage conditions, Irrigation facilities, water availability, andother planning inputs of interest 5. Farmmachinery andEquipment equipped with sensors
  • 7. BENEFITS • Precision farming not only is potentially more economical, but it also reduces the amounts of chemicals released into the environment. Other benefits: • Improves crop yield & profit • Provides better information for making management decision • Provides more details & useful farm records • Reduces fertilizer costs • Reduces pesticide costs • Reduces pollution
  • 9. • PF is useful guidance for adopting the systems of integrated management of soil health, nutrients, pests, water, energy and different crop genetic resources. • The main objective of adopting precision farming in India is to improve horticultural production, quality of environment and economic status of the farmers Precision farming
  • 10. BASIC STEPS IN PRECISION FARMING 1. Assessing variation 2. Managing variation and 3. Evaluation There are three important issues regarding precision agriculture evaluation: • • • Economics Environment and Technology transfer
  • 11. Tools in precision farming horticulture
  • 13. • It is an information and technology-based management system • These include – Global positioning systems – Geographic information systems – Yield monitoring devices – Soil, plant and pest sensors, – Remote sensing and – Variable rate technologies • This information and technology for site-specific farming allows farmers to identify, analyse and manage the spatial and temporal variability of soil and plants for optimum profitability, sustainability and protection of the environment.
  • 14. Global Positioning System (GPS) • The most common use of GPS in horticulture is for yield mapping and variable rate fertilizer/pesticide applicator. • The GPS are important to find out the exact location in the field to assess the spatial variability and site-specific application of inputs. • The GPS operating in differential mode are capable of providing location accuracy of 1 m.
  • 15. Geographical Information System (GIS) • The GIS is an organized collection of computer hardware, software, geographical data, and personnel designed to efficiently capture, store, update, manipulate, analyze and display all forms of geographically referenced information. • The GIS is the key to extracting value from information on variability. It is rightly called as the brain of precision farming • It can help in horticulture in two ways. • One is in linking and integrating GIS data (soil, crop, weather field history) with simulation models. • Other is to support the engineering component for designing implements and GPS guided machineries (variable rate applicators) for precision horticulture.
  • 16. Current PF research in Horticulture Vigour mapping vineyards to assist with segregation Vigour mapped using NDVI or using laser scanning , relates to important wine quality characteristics (Brix, pH, bunch number and weight, berry size) = possible to segregate zones into more uniform fruit into the winery. * NDVI – Normalized Difference Vegetation Index Mapping soil water content and water stress to schedule irrigation Localized sensors (eg TDR), linked to soil/water/plant model, localized water controllers (eg microsprays, drippers) = water part of field at a time. * TDR- Time Domine Reflectometry
  • 17. Current PF research in Horticulture • Orchard fruit yield maps – Picking bins identified and grading mapped back to a few trees in the orchard (eg fruit colour mapped to orchard) – Enable tracking through cool stores, fertility management of blocks, etc. Crop quality prediction Mild onions segregated for pungency based on sweetness (Brix>7.5%) and pungency (pyruvate<4 mg/kg) Predict sugar & pyruvate from crop / soil features during growth, develop a harvesting pattern to segregate.
  • 18. Opportunities • Precision horticulture offers: – Production efficiency – manage inputs to match targets. Reduced environmental impact by linking inputs to targets. – In-field quality prediction – develop and manage segregations
  • 19. Scope of precision farming in India • The concept of precision farming is not new for India. • Farmers try their best to do the things for getting maximum possible yield with information and technologies available to them but unless & until total information about their fields and advanced technologies are available, they cannot do precision farming in perfect sense. • In India, major problem is the small field size. • More than 58 percent of operational holdings in the country have size less than 1ha. • Only in the states of Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana and Gujarat more than 20 per cent of agricultural lands have operational holding size of more than four hectare.
  • 20. • Similar implementation can also be carried out on the state farms. • There is a scope of implementing precision agriculture for crops like, rice and wheat especially in the states of Punjab and Haryana. • Commercial as well as horticultural crops also show a wider scope for precision agriculture in the cooperative farms. • Nearly two-third arable land in India is rain-fed. • The crop yields are very low (1t ha-1) and very good potential exists for increasing productivity of rain-fed Cropping systems. • When attached fields with the same crop are considered, it is possible to obtain fields of over 15 ha extent in which similar crop management are followed. • Such fields can be considered for the purpose of initiating the implementation of precision farming. Scope of precision farming in India
  • 21. Drawbacks of precision farming • High cost: It has proven difficult to determine the cost benefits of precision agriculture management. At present, many of the technologies used are in their infancy, and pricing of equipment and services is hard to pin down. • Lack of technical expertise knowledge and technology: The success of precision agriculture depends largely on how well and how quickly the knowledge needed to guide the new technologies can be found (India spends only 0.3% of its agricultural Gross Domestic Product in Research and Development) • Not applicable or difficult/costly for small land holdings • Heterogeneity of cropping systems and market imperfections
  • 22. Copy protected with Online-PDF-No-Copy.com