Project
Title
Advanced Monitoring of Tree Crops for Optimized Management - How to Cope With Variability in Soil and Plant Properties?
Acronym
3D-Mosaic
Start
01.05.2011
End
01.04.2013
Coordinating Institute
Leibniz-Institut für Agrartechnik und Bioökonomie e.V. (ATB)
Coordinator
Contact
Partner
Agricultural Research Organization
Forschungsanstalt Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon (ART)
Politecnico di Milano
Universität Hohenheim
Universität Kassel
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Sintéleia S.r.l.
University of Cukurova
Versas Consultores S.L.
Zurich University of Applied Sciences
Project team ATB
Internet
Summary
Spatial patterns of soil and plant properties can be regarded as a 3D mosaic. Thus, an optimum orchard management has to address seasonal and spatial variability in soil and micro-climate that affect plant growth and fruit development. 3D-Mosaic aims at autonomous orchard monitoring that will be approached for irrigation based on management maps considering soil and plant mosaic structure in the orchards.
The project objectives are:
o Mobile geo-referenced data acquisition in an orchard by a robotic platform
o Monitoring of plant and fruit by means of automated sensors using multiple sensor and geo-information system (GIS)
o Derivation of tree adapted management maps based on pre-knowledge and actual soil and plant data to improve the irrigation regime in model orchards
o Verification of concept by field tests in Turkey and Germany
o Share of knowledge and initialization of further R&D on precision horticulture by dissemination of results and stimulation of technical innovations in precision horticulture
For this purpose, sensors, monitoring strategies, information processing, and decision support system will be developed to produce maps for orchard management considering the soil and plant data.
The project is structured into six work packages (WPs):
1. Adaptation of an autonomous platform for transport of the mobile sensors and for implementation of efficient monitoring strategies
2. Development of a mobile vision system for detection of canopy parameters and fruits
3. Development of mobile fruit sensors for non-invasive quality analyses on the tree
4. Field trials for testing the system and data acquisition
5. Geographical information system (GIS) for 3D data management
6. Development of spatial decision support system (sDSS)
3D-Mosaic will capture a horizontal approach bringing together work groups with available multidisciplinary expertise, facilities, and infrastructure.
Funding
Bundesministerium für Ernährung, Landwirtschaft und Verbraucherschutz (BMELV)
Grant agreement number
2810ERA095
Funding framework
ERA-Net ICT-AGRI