February 2023 - 18

Black looked at technology used
by growers of agronomic crops
such as corn and soybeans that
mapped various parts of the field
to determine certain qualities. That
led to an objective to map orchards
for variability, including soil
characteristics (texture, nutrient
holding), tree characteristics
(tree size, canopy volume and
density) and yield. Another
research area involved diseases
and pest distribution.
Using drones, sensors
and other tech
Technologies being investigated
are drones, satellite images and
vehicle- or sprayer-mounted
sensors.
Another study approach mapped
orchard variability, including soil
characteristics, Black said.
Looking at the relationships
between the different maps
that can be generated included
matching soil characteristics to
the canopy/volume/density, yield
potential and root distribution,
and examining fertilizer
placement,
to determine
where its use
provides the
best results.
" Another
issue is
canopy density
and pest
distribution, "
he said. " If
our canopy's
too dense, that's
where we first see powdery
mildew, spider mites and some of
the other pests that we deal with. "
Determining what those
BRENT
BLACK
relationships are can lead to
management interventions. One
component of integrated pest
management is knowing when to
take action.
" We can maybe set thresholds
for canopy densities regarding
some of these other inputs,
enabling us to be more efficient
in how we're managing our
orchards, " Black said.
The approach could also
include variable rate irrigation
for improved water relations, and
encourage less fertilizer leaching.
Pruning timing could also benefit
from variable rate management
by identifying a threshold for light
interception in managing pests,
for example. Orchard removal
management could be improved by
use of the technologies.
" In recent years, some foreign
countries have been importing
cherries below the cost of
production, and that's put a real
strain on the industry, " he said.
" This whole project is looking at
ways we can help growers better
manage their crops and increase
their profitability and efficiency. "
The project includes research
into different methods of more
efficiently collecting crop data,
including ground-based and ATVmounted
sensors and drones.
Alfonso Torres-Rua, professor
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in USU's Department of Civil
and Environmental Engineering
and member of the AggieAir
UAV research program, is a
collaborator on the project.
" Using sensors mounted on
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drones has the potential to
collect hundreds of thousands
of data points much faster than
sending scouts out on foot or by
ATV to monitor conditions in the
orchard, " Black said.
Data from sensors on the
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ground and drones will create
three-dimensional pictures to
analyze orchard characteristics
such as canopy density, soil
health and disease and pest
outbreaks.
" Drought strain and disease
outbreaks cause changes in the
way light is absorbed and reflected
by the orchard, " Black said. " Using
drone-mounted sensors, we hope
to detect these differences and
make targeting problems areas
faster and easier
18 | FEBRUARY 2023
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February 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of February 2023
