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.     

Earthquakes on dipping faults: the effects of broken symmetry

Dynamic simulations of earthquakes on dipping faults show asymmetric near-source ground motion caused by the asymmetric geometry of such faults. The ground motion from a thrust or reverse fault is larger than that of a normal fault by a factor of 2 or more, given identical initial stress magnitudes. The motion of the hanging wall is larger than that of the footwall in both thrust (reverse) and normal earthquakes. The asymmetry between normal and thrust (reverse) faults results from time-dependent normal stress caused by the interaction of the earthquake-generated stress field with Earth's free surface. The asymmetry between hanging wall and footwall results from the asymmetric mass and geometry on the two sides of the fault.     

Yield prediction in apple orchards based on image processing

It has been suggested that apple ( Malus * domestica Borkh) flowering distribution maps can be used for site-specific management decisions. The objectives of this study were (i) to study the flower density variability in an apple orchard using image analysis and (ii) to model the correlation between flower density as determined from image analysis and fruit yield. The research was carried out in a commercial apple orchard in Central Greece. In April 2007, when the trees were at full bloom, photos of the trees were taken following a systematic uniform random sampling procedure. In September 2007, yield mapping was carried out measuring yield per ten trees and recording the position of the centre of the ten trees. Using this data (the measured yield of the trees and the pictures samples, representing the flower distribution), an image processing-based algorithm was developed that predicts tree yield by analyzing the picture of the tree at full bloom. For the evaluation of the algorithm, a case study scenario is presented where the error of the predicted yield was set at 18%. These results indicated that potential yield could be predicted early in the season from flowering distribution maps and could be used for orchard management during the growing season.     

Reducing the risk of soil compaction by applying ‘Jordværn Online’® when performing slurry distribution

Abstract

Through a case study, it is shown that the potential of applying JORDVÆRN Online® as a decision-making tool aimed at supporting sustainable in-field traffic provided the farmer with the potential to improve and maintain the soil as a continued growth medium for the future agri-food production. The combination of CTF and optimal selected tyre configurations provides the farmer with the potential of cropping agricultural land without creating permanent soil compaction. Additional, the case study indicates an urgent need for the development of alternative systems for in-field traffic in wet conditions, e.g. multiple-axle trailers with real low-inflation tyres.     

Robotic weed monitoring

Abstract

In this paper, an integrated management system for the planning and activation of a field monitoring task is presented. The architecture of the system is built around a mobile robotic unit. The internet-based architecture of the system includes a station unit that works as a mobile on-farm operating console, the mobile robotic unit and a field server for generating and storing maps. The hypothesis is that it is possible to automate the planning and execution of the operation of monitoring the in-field weed density and species distribution. The developed planning system includes the automatic field geometrical representation and the route planning for the mobile unit. For the field representation two algorithmic approaches for automated track generation were used. For the route planning, a graph-based field coverage algorithm and a discrete grid-based path planning method were used. The low computational requirements of the implemented algorithms make it feasible to adopt a real-time re-planning strategy in which a set of new planning problems are solved based on the latest information. The central part of such a planning, concerns the dynamic re-evaluation of the initial plan for sampling and routing based on the on-line analysis of the samples. This provides the basis for a fully sequential adaptive adjustment of the sampling procedure after each individual sampling. It is expected that such a dynamic targeted sampling and routing system will reduce the overall cost and time consumption of the weed monitoring operation.     

Effects of body condition score (BCS) on steroid‐ and eicosanoid‐metabolizing enzyme activity in various mare tissues during winter anoestrus

The objective of this study was to determine the activity of steroid‐ and eicosanoid‐metabolizing enzymes in horses with varying BCSs. The BCSs of twenty non‐pregnant, anoestrous mares were determined prior to euthanasia, and tissue samples were collected from the liver, kidney, adrenal gland, ovary and endometrium. Cytochrome P450 1A (CYP1A), 2C (CYP2C), 3A (CYP3A) and uridine 5′‐diphospho‐glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) activities were determined using luminogenic substrates. The MIXED procedure of SAS was used to test the effect of BCS on enzyme activity and differences between tissues. Activity of CYP1A in adrenals was increased (p ≤ .05) in BCS 5 versus BCSs 4 and 6. Activity of CYP1A in the liver was increased (p = .05) in BCS 4 versus BCSs 5 and 6. Activity of CYP1A was 100‐fold greater (p < .0001) in the liver than in the adrenal, ovary and kidney. Activity of CYP2C was 100‐fold greater (p < .0001) in the liver than in the adrenal, ovary and endometrium. Activity of CYP3A was only detectable in the liver. Activity of UGT in the kidney was decreased (p = .02) in BCS 4 versus BCSs 5 and 6. Activity of UGT was threefold greater (p < .0001) in the liver than in the kidney, whereas activity of UGT was ninefold greater (p < .0001) in the kidney than in the ovary and endometrium. In general, BCS did not alter the activity of steroid‐ and eicosanoid‐metabolizing enzymes in horses. However, tissue differences in these enzymes indicated abundant hepatic metabolism in horses, which is similar to other livestock species.     

Effects of Inulin Supplementation in Low‐ or High‐Fat Diets on Reproductive Performance of Sows and Antioxidant Defence Capacity in Sows and Offspring

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of inulin supplementation in low‐ or high‐fat diets on both the reproductive performance of sow and the antioxidant defence capacity in sows and offspring. Sixty Landrace × Yorkshire sows were randomly allocated to four treatments with low‐fat diet (L), low‐fat diet containing 1.5% inulin (LI), high‐fat diet (H) and high‐fat diet containing 1.5% inulin (HI). Inulin‐rich diets lowered the within‐litter birth weight coefficient of variation (CV, p = 0.05) of piglets, increased the proportion of piglets weighing 1.0–1.5 kg at farrowing (p < 0.01), reduced the loss of body weight (BW) and backfat thickness (BF) during lactation (p < 0.05) and decreased the duration of farrowing as well as improved sow constipation (p < 0.05). Sows fed fat‐rich diets gained more BW during gestation (p < 0.01), farrowed a greater number of total (+1.65 pigs, p < 0.05) and alive (+1.52 pigs p < 0.05) piglets and had a heavier (+2.06 kg, p < 0.05) litter weight at birth as well as a decreased weaning‐to‐oestrous interval (WEI, p < 0.01) compared with sows fed low‐fat diets. However, it is worth noting that the H diet significantly decreased the serum activities of superoxide dismutase (T‐SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px) and increased the serum malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in sows and piglets (p < 0.05). In contrast, HI diet enhanced the activities of T‐SOD and GSH‐Px and decreased the serum MDA concentrations (p < 0.05) in sows and piglets. In summary, the fat‐rich diets fed to sows during gestation had beneficial effects on reproductive performance, but aggravated the oxidative stress in sow and piglets. Inulin‐rich diets fed to sow during gestation had beneficial effects on within‐litter uniformity of piglet birthweight and enhanced the antioxidant defence capacity of sows and piglets.