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    PHYSICO-CHEMICAL AND IMAGING CHARACTERIZATION OF EXPERIMENTAL PLOTS

    The phase started on 03.12.2020 and ended on 30.11.2021.

    The overall objective of the project is to build an integrated autonomous/ semi-autonomous system with a service capable of collecting, correlating land, plant and aerial data acquisition systems and anticipating the properties of crops from aerially taken images. The forecasted data will be able to trigger the micro differentiated or corrective application of additives/inputs or irrigation/micro-irrigation for crops in order to achieve a precision agricultural system to achieve an optimized harvesting yield. In addition, preliminary investigations will also be carried out during the project for the analysis of the presence and pest control by means of vibration sensors.

    The proposed integrated system will enable farmers to better supervise plants. Thus, INSAC-AGRIS will be a system capable of analyzing plant characteristics, plant population, level of taming, sole health, growth problems, present diseases or pests. Adding aerial images and ground data to the database, analyzing soil and plants, and adjusting accordingly to the collected climate data, will create the basis of the prediction system only from aerial data. Also, using a multi-spectral chamber, several vegetation indices (for example, NDVI, SAVI, etc.) and other plant characteristics can be determined, complementing the information necessary for the construction of prediction algorithms.

    The pilot phase begins in Romania and Hungary over a period of 3 years, using experimental crops of wheat, rapeseed, green peas, maize, standard sunflower, sunflower with high oleic degree (high stearic), the experimental plots being designed to use a differentiated application area of inputs, together with the control test area. All these crops are particularly representative of Eastern Europe and the Black Sea region (Ukraine, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Serbia, etc.), but they are also found in the rest of the European Union’s agriculture, so that the use and scalability of the integrated system for further use is clear and proven.

    As a methodology, the following general steps were considered throughout the entire project, INSAC-AGRIS, related to crop management and the analysis of the physical-chemical characteristics of crops:

    1. preliminary acquisition of aerial images;
    2. elaboration of orthophoto-plan maps;
    3. drawing up the sampling plan for soil samples;
    4. elaboration of the typology and network of soil sensors;
    5. creating a GIS system, based on the parameters recorded in the Database;
    6. development of algorithm/software for data correlation;
    7. drawing up a map for the variable distribution of inputs.

    Our aim is to provide useful knowledge to all EU farmers and to provide them with new tools for precision farming. It is necessary to change the attitude of farmers towards precision agriculture, both at national and international level. In today’s practice, most farmers decide how to grow a particular area based on relatively little data (soil analysis, field inspections and weather monitoring).

    PHASE 1 EXECUTION

    In the framework of Phase no. 1 – “Physical-chemical and imaging characterization of the experimental plots” the following activities were carried out:

    1.1. Logistics of demonstration lots

    • The management of the experimental fields was carried out, as well as the acquisition of the equipment necessary for the preparation, maintenance and harvesting activity

    1.2. Physical-chemical characterization of the experimental fields

    • The activity focused on the collection together with AGROVET of soil samples, from the predetermined points, the chemical analysis, as well as the preliminary interpretation of the first crops

    1.3. Development of imaging acquisition equipment

    •Activity 1.3 was the starting point for the integrated system. The structure was designed and the acquisitions were made for the first 2 out of 3 components of the System (acquisition, storage, processing), namely the aerial acquisition, the data processing system and components of the ground sensor network. At this Phase, the first preliminary acquisitions of the experimental fields from Alexandria were also made.

    1.4. Periodic acquisition of data on the state of culture (preliminary activities, preparation of acquisition and data transmission)

    • The preparation of the correlation algorithm was done by elaborating the maps of the experimental plots, in the first phase separated by pedological characteristics, following that in Phase 2 to be integrated with the characteristics developed from the image analysis.

    1.5. Realization of monitoring and micro-feedback system for crop management (preparation of correlation algorithm characteristics)

    •The physical-chemical characteristics of the soil, characteristic on each experimental lot, as well as the necessary algorithmic requirements have been cumulated.

    COMMUNICATION

    The Romanian and Hungarian partners had throughout Phase 1 a constant exchange of information also from the point of view of the developed cultures, the technical approach of the maintenance of the lots, the taking of soil samples, as well as the administrative activities as equipment acquisitions, the development of the common templates of INSAC-AGRIS. In this respect, the Scientific Report submitted by the Romanian side will be translated into English and Hungarian, consolidated with the reporting of the Hungarian side, and will be part of the future website of the project.

    Since the beginning of the project, the internal communication details have been established, thus taking place 2 official meetings, besides the constant online meetings.

    Thus, in March 2021, the Kick-Off Meeting E! 13295-INSAC AGRIS took place, in which the topics were addressed:

    1. Opening and Introduction to the First Project Meeting, AGROVET
    2. Presentation of INSAC-AGRIS Work Plan, IBA & KUSPERMEZO
    3. Presentation of experimental plot and up-to-date situation, AGROVET
    4. Presentation of experimental plot and up-to-date situation, KUSPERMEZO
    5. Presentation of INSAC-AGRIS Communication & Dissemination Plan, KUSPERMEZO & IBA
    6. Presentation of MATE, MATE (former SZIE)
    7. Administrative issues,
    8. Discussion & Project Meeting Closure

    Given the situation generated by the pandemic crisis that we are going through, the launch meeting took place online, with the participation of at least one representative from each of the 4 partners.

    The second meeting was held in October 2021, in Bucharest over 2 days, where it was discussed about:

    1. Opening and Introduction to the Second Project Meeting, AGROVET
    2. Presentation of experimental plot and results achievement, AGROVET
    3. Presentation of experimental plot and results achievement, KUSPERMEZO
    4. Presentation of Pix4D software and results achievement, IBA
    5. Presentation of results achievement, MATE
    6. Opening and Introduction to the Second Day, AGROVET
    7. Presentation of comparative analysis and up-to-date situation, IBA & MATE
    8. Presentation of Financial situation, All PPs
    9. Up-dated INSAC-AGRIS Work Plan and following steps, IBA & KUSPERMEZO
    10. Administrative issues

    The second meeting was attended by representatives of all 4 partners and the steps to be followed before and after the 2021 reporting in Romania, respectively the 2022 reporting from Hungary, were established, taking into account the gap of the Romania vs. Hungary Phases. The steps were set to strengthen the joint activities within the project.

    CONCLUSIONS

    Although the start of the project was not consolidated with the acquisitions of equipment, thus lacking a consistency of data in Phase 1, which would generate clear positive effects of an integrated system, in detail some emerging and defining conclusions can be drawn and convince the continuation of researches for the development of INSAC-AGRIS:

    1) From the analysis of the main data regarding the experimental field it appears that the differentiated application of the inputs brings a major benefit to the crops from the qualitative and quantitative point of view, observing increases between 6 and 20% of the production. But peas had a decrease in yield, which was also due to climatic conditions, as well as the nitrogen fixer character it presents. But the variation of these values is a significant starting point for the elaboration of the correlation algorithm.

    2) In addition to the previous conclusion, it should be added that a differentiated application also brings a high economic contribution, the quantity of inputs being lower, therefore more efficient.

    3) From the physical-chemical characterization of the crops, the soil analyses are representative for the construction of the differentiated application maps. It will be very interesting to approach the implementation of plant analyses because they will be able to give an overview of plant quality, a confirmation of the effectiveness of applying inputs and will be an important parameter to be taken into account when developing the correlation algorithm.

    4) The choice of a medium drone in terms of applicability, as well as cost-quality, opens the way to an accessible commercial product to farmers without many financial possibilities, in the case of developing the imaging acquisition part in the farm area. The collected data packages can be transmitted to the center for processing, the area that requires a specialized interpretation.

    5) The implementation of a dual, transnational system was a happy choice for the project because it allowed the comparison and, implicitly, the timely adjustment of the cultivation technique, of the solutions for applying the inputs, in the sense of an optimization of the technological process in order to be representative of the agricultural crops carried out in the Black Sea basin and of Central and Eastern Europe.