Functional requirements for a future farm management information system

As a subsequent step of the conceptual modelling and the information modelling involving the specification of the knowledge content of the decision processes and the involved data imbedded in the information entities, a derivation of the functional requirements was carried out to support and guide the selection of the technological infrastructure of a dedicated farm management information system (FMIS). The study employed the core-task analysis (CTA) method involving a combination of science-based modelling, practice-based modelling, and integrated information modelling.The “process” entities of the information flow model which represent the usage processes of the information, and of the “information” entities which represent the data elements were identified for the specific case of fertilising. This identification of the usage processes as well as the associated data elements showed the complexity of the decision making process within the domain of field operations. In a fully structured and formalised information flow decomposition, many actors are required to deliver information to the decision processes in order to fully emulate the tacit knowledge that the farmer are currently using. Especially, the concept of assisting services has to evolve in order to sustain the need of more automated decision processes in the future. New information management concepts and designs mean that farmers have to be ready to adopt new working habits and perhaps also undergo further training.     

Scale invariant feature approach for insect monitoring

One of the main problems in greenhouse crop production is the presence of pests. In order to address this problem, the implementation of a Integrated Pest Management (IPM) system involving the detection and classification of insects (pests) is essential for intensive production systems. Traditionally, this has been done by placing hunting traps in fields or greenhouses and later manually counting and identifying the insects found. This is a very time-consuming and expensive process. To facilitate this process, it is possible to use machine vision techniques. This work describes an application of the machine vision system LOSS V2 algorithm, an expanded version of the LOSS algorithm discussed in a previous work by the same authors. This expanded version demonstrated improved potential and was used to detect and identify the following pest species: Diabrotica (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Lacewings (Lacewings spp.), Aphids (Aphis gossypii Genn.), Glassy (Empoasca spp.), Thrips (Thrips tabaci L.), and Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci Genn.). The algorithm identifies pest presence in the crop and makes it possible for the greenhouse manager to take the appropriate preventive or corrective measures. The LOSS V2 involves the application of the LOSS algorithm for initial pest identification, followed by the application of the image processing technique known as scale invariant feature transform (SIFT). This allows for more accurate pest detection because it is possible to discriminate and identify different types of insects. Therefore, when compared to manual pest counting, the newly developed LOSS V2 algorithm showed more precision in identifying different pest varieties, and also, a much higher determination coefficient, R² = 0.99.     

Diversity in attitudes toward farming and patterns of work among farm women: A regional comparison

Attention to diversity in women's attitudes toward farming and in women's patterns of farm work activity expands our understanding of the linkage between agrarian structure, regional history, and the behavior and values of individual farm women. We combine several disciplinary and methodological approaches to reveal patterns in work and values in a Southern case and then verify the existence of similar patterns in the Midwest. Two divergent conceptions of women's relationship to farm and marital partnership were found in a Georgia study, the agrarian and the industrial, and we explore how they emerged in the context of the political and economic history of the South. We find these marital models are linked today to different patterns of farm work. We then extend the Georgia analysis to a statewide survey of Ohio farm women, where attitudinal diversity is not as marked, due to the stronger agrarian traditions of the Midwest and its distinct political economy. We find similar patterns, however, in Ohio farm women's work and affirm the validity of Carbert's categorization of Rosenfeld's survey items. Attention to diversity in the work patterns, values, and attitudes of farm women highlights that the term traditional is a misnomer when applied to Southern women and reinforces the value of multi-disciplinary approaches and regional comparisons.     

Perceived importance of precision farming technologies in improving phosphorus and potassium efficiency in cotton production

Site-specific information technologies (IT) provide knowledge about the spatial variability within a field to improve the efficiency of inputs through variable-rate (VR) applications. Identifying factors that influence farmers’ perceptions of the importance of precision farming (PF) technologies in improving the efficiency of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilizer applications can help to determine why different groups of farmers adopt PF. Knowing these factors can be useful in targeting specific groups of farmers to adopt PF and increase fertilizer efficiency to meet crop needs and reduce P and K losses to the environment. Data were obtained from a 2001 mail survey of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) farmers in six southeastern states in the United States of America. Ordered logit analysis was used to evaluate the level of importance to those who had adopted PF technologies placed on such technologies they had used to improve the efficiency of P and K applications. Results showed that such farmers found soil sampling by management zone or on a grid, and on-the-go sensing most important. Precision farmers who used mapping and remote sensing found PF technologies least important. Older precision farmers who rented larger proportions of their land and used computers for farm management were more likely than other precision farmers to place greater importance on PF technologies in improving the efficiency of P and K applications.     

土壤信息采集系统的设计

土壤信息采集系统是以单片机AT89C51为核心设计的,通过接入不同的传感器可快速准确获得土壤的不同地点、不同深度处的温度、水分、盐分等信息.本文给出了硬件电路、工作原理.     

A new vision-based approach to differential spraying in precision agriculture

One of the objectives of precision agriculture is to minimize the volume of herbicides by using site-specific weed management systems. To reach this goal, two major factors need to be considered: (1) the similarity of spectral signatures, shapes, and textures between weeds and crops and (2) irregular distribution of weeds within the crop. This paper outlines an automatic computer vision method for detecting Avena sterilis, a noxious weed growing in cereal crops, and differential spraying to control the weed. The proposed method determines the quantity and distribution of weeds in the crop fields and applies a decision-making strategy for selective spraying, which forms the main focus of the paper. The method consists of two stages: image segmentation and decision-making. The image segmentation process extracts cells from the image as the low-level units. The quantity and distribution of weeds in the cell are mapped as area and structural based attributes, respectively. From these attributes, a multicriteria decision-making approach under a fuzzy context allows us to decide whether any given cell needs to be sprayed. The method was compared with other existing strategies.     

广西发展精确农业的研究

精确农业是中国农业未来的发展方向之一,是国家重视农业科技发展的导向。文章简明介绍了精确农业的多种技术支持方法以及我国精确农业的发展状况。通过分析广西水资源、耕地状况、农业机械化水平、肥料施用量,探索精确农业的发展,结合精确农业实际技术要求,提出广西发展精确农业的5项建议,为广西发展精确农业提供参考依据。     

Wireless sensor network deployment for integrating video-surveillance and data-monitoring in precision agriculture over distributed crops

Monitoring different parameters of interest in a crop has been proven as a useful tool to improve agricultural production. Crop monitoring in precision agriculture may be achieved by a multiplicity of technologies; however the use of Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) results in low-cost and low-power consumption deployments, therefore becoming a dominant option. It is also well-known that crops are also negatively affected by intruders (human or animals) and by insufficient control of the production process. Video-surveillance is a solution to detect and identify intruders as well as to better take care of the production process. In this paper, a new platform called Integrated WSN Solution for Precision Agriculture is proposed. The only cost-effective technology employed is IEEE 802.15.4, and it efficiently integrates crop data acquisition, data transmission to the end-user and video-surveillance tasks. This platform has been evaluated for the particular scenario of scattered crops video-surveillance by using computer simulation and analysis. The telecommunications metrics of choice are energy consumed, probability of frame collision and end-to-end latency, which have been carefully studied to offer the most appropriate wireless network operation. Wireless node prototypes providing agriculture data monitoring, motion detection, camera sensor and long distance data transmission (in the order of several kilometers) are developed. The performance evaluation of this real tests-bed scenario demonstrates the feasibility of the platform designed and confirms the simulation and analytical results.     

The economics of automatic section control technology for planters: A case study of middle and west Tennessee farms

Reducing double-planted area in row crop production fields where planter overlap is unavoidable, such as end rows, point rows, and areas around internal field obstacles, can improve net returns by reducing seed costs and increasing revenue. The objective of this case study was to present a summary of results from 52 fields that highlight potential losses from double-planted areas and therefore potential savings associated with an investment in an Automatic Section Control system (ASC) for planters. Percentage of double-planted area ranged from 0.1% to 15.5% depending on field size and shape. Fields were classified into low, moderate and high double-planted fields, based on percentage of double planted area. Potential savings from adopting ASC system for planters were evaluated using this information. Savings from the adoption of this technology ranged from $4 per ha to $26 per ha depending on the distribution of field types in a farming operation. The results indicated that savings and the minimum period of time over which an investment in ASC on planters would have to be finance to guarantee a positive net cash flow every year was determined by farm size and distribution of field types in a farming operation.     

基于农户特征的连续务农及稳定参保行为影响因素探究——以湖南省鼎城区匡家桥村为例

了解连续务农农户的特征及其稳定参与农业保险的影响因素,有助于探究我国农户连续开展农业生产以及参与农业保险的内在驱动力,有助于理解农业生产和保险两者间协同持续发展的基础。基于2007-2010年湖南省匡家桥村连续四年的定点农户级样本数据,使用非参数检验确定连续务农农户特征,并结合探索性因子分析构建结构方程模型,以农户社会经济特征为主要考虑对象,探究现行农业保险制度下,农户稳定参保行为的影响因素。结果表明,资本、化学品投入两因子显著正向影响农户是否稳定参保,而经验因子显著负向影响农户的稳定参保行为。三个显著的因子中,化学品投入具有更大的影响作用,其影响系数是资本因子的1.5倍,经验因子的1.4倍。此外,经验因子和资本因子中劳动力资本相关的特征变量对农户连续务农和稳定参保行为的影响方向一致,具有同向性。     

Process modelling in demand-driven supply chains: A reference model for the fruit industry

The growing importance of health in consumption is expected to result in a significant increase of European fruit demand. However, the current fruit supply does not yet sufficiently meet demand requirements. This urges fruit supply chains to become more demand-driven, that is, able to continuously match supply capabilities to changing demand requirements. Realisation of such dynamic supply chains requires the design of customised supply chain configurations and subsequently the engineering of enabling information systems. Reference process models can be valuable means to support this. Based on a case study in four European countries, this paper presents a reference model for designing business processes in demand-driven fruit supply chains. The model consists of a reference modelling framework and an application of the framework to fruit supply chains. The framework defines process models at different levels of abstraction and includes a method of how they can be composed from a repository of building blocks. The applied model comprises a definition of the model building blocks in fruit supply chains and a set of pre-configure models (templates). Together, they combine fruit-specific knowledge with the reuse of generic knowledge as captured in cross-industry standards. The developed reference model bridges the gap between supply chain design and information systems engineering by providing a consistent set of process models that are on the one hand understandable for business managers and on the other hand serve as a basis for information system implementation.     

农业信息技术现状分析与我国的发展对策

简要介绍了国内外农业信息技术的发展现状，提出了今后农业信息技术发展与研究的主要方向——智能化农业专家系统和虚拟农业的研究、开发与应用，以3S技术集成为主的农业宏观信息采集、处理、实时测报技术与网络化技术，农业应用软件和计算机控制农业技术的开发应用。在此基础上，提出了发展我国农业信息技术的对策。     

农业可持续发展的若干问题(Ⅱ)——农业可持续发展的主要模式和关键技术

农业可持续发展问题已引起世界各国的广泛关注和高度重视。我国是一个拥有 13亿人口的发展中农业大国 ,入世后 ,农业如何实现和保持快速、持续、健康发展 ,这是新世纪全国上下亟待研究回答的问题。对农业可持续发展的主要模式及其关键技术进行了分析和讨论 ,旨在为新世纪促进我国农业的可持续发展提供新的思路、方法和途径     

澳大利亚有机农业的土壤管理经验及其对广西有机农业发展的启示

在农业发达国家如澳大利亚对有机农业已进行大量研究,在涉及土壤管理和有机添加物的使用方面获得大量研究经验和成果。在土壤管理方面,澳大利亚通过对土壤实施禁牧措施恢复土壤物理状态,通过采用短期（3年内）及长期（3-10年）两种不同时间跨度对土壤物理性质进行研究观察和分析,结果表明,土壤实施长期的禁牧和停止农业生产可以有效改善土壤物理性质,尤其是土壤中大于30μm的孔隙度因禁牧而大量出现,明显提高了土壤的排水和吸收能力。此外,澳大利亚对各种有机添加物的施用量和效果进行了较多研究,发现有机添加物可改善土壤耕作性能;结合有机农业的周边产业,将其副产品转化为有机添加物,实现废弃资源再利用。广西有机农业的发展起步于20世纪末,目前在土壤管理方面的研究仍有不足,有关有机添加物的研究尚未与周边产业结合进行。今后,在广西有机农业的土壤管理中,须开始或保持禁牧;有机农业公司与本土周边产业进行合作利用,将生产废弃物制成有机添加物,从而循环利用生产资源。     

Site-specific management of limiting nutrients in peanut (Arachis hypogaea) on the Texas High Plains

Nutrient data obtained from soil chemical tests were analyzed in an activity analysis model to identify limiting factors in peanut production on the Texas High Plains. A production function was estimated for the study field, and limiting factors were identified at individual sites where the production function indicated that yield did not respond. The estimated production function also enabled us to conduct a cost-return analysis of variable- and blanket-rate fertilizer applications. The results showed that peanut yields did not respond to most of the nutrients included in the study, which confirmed conclusions from previous studies in the study region. Calcium and nitrogen were the only two limiting factors identified in this study. Significant economic returns could be obtained by site-specific fertilizer application. The average economic return from variable-rate calcium fertilizer application was $27.84 ha⁻¹ and from blanket-rate it was $10.73 ha⁻¹. The return from variable-rate nitrogen fertilizer application was about $20 ha⁻¹ and from a blanket-rate it was about $14 ha⁻¹. There seems to be quite a strong economic incentive to adopt variable-rate application for calcium and nitrogen fertilizer application.

A comprehensive approach for assessing the economic contribution of forage and livestock improvement options to smallholder farming enterprises

The importance of livestock production activities to improving the livelihoods of smallholder farming households and the efficiency of their underlying farming systems is increasingly recognized.A rapid increase in livestock numbers, especially beef cattle, and special purpose forages is being promoted for smallholder farms which have traditionally undertaken subsistence cropping activities or simple livestock rearing activities using low quality feedstuffs.Because limited plantings of specialized forages combined with a poor knowledge of animal nutrition are a challenge to establishing sustainable livestock enterprises, much public policy and research is now being focused on the use of new forages and improved feeding practices.A number of economic studies have suggested that specialized forage growing and livestock feeding activities can make a positive contribution to smallholder welfare.The studies have typically compared the total level of farm or household income with and without livestock activities.Little attention is given to how much the new forage or livestock activities actually contribute to or draw resources from other farm activities to assess their real economic contribution to the enterprise, and the availability of simple tools to assist in making such assessments are limited.This paper describes a simple modelling approach that was developed for an Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research(ACIAR)-supported project to explore the real as opposed to apparent economic impact of integrating improved forages and livestock within smallholder farming systems in the Red Soils region of south-central China.Application of the model is demonstrated using a simple case study of a smallholder enterprise that plans to introduce a new beef cattle rearing activity to its existing farm activity mix.The case study highlights the importance of explicitly valuing transfers of resources between different farm activities to gauge the real contribution of those activities to economic returns.     

甘肃安西农业生态经济系统构成因素与效益的灰色关联分析

以安西县４５户农户为研究对象，对其农业生态经济系统的构成因素与效益进行了灰色关联分析研究。结果表明，系统中养殖业占有较大优势，但效益较差，认为在该系统中，发展经济作物，提高草食家畜的生产效益，才能提高农业生产的总效益。