project - EIP-AGRI Operational Group
Precision agriculture in the olive grove using unmanned aerial systems
Objectives
Develop the technological advances in the Unmanned Aerial Systems (Using different types of sensors and hyperspectral cameras) for its possible practical application in the determination of nutritional deficiencies, optimum state of maturation of the olive for its collection, soil condition (ex. state of humidity) and possible pests that affect the cultivation of the olive tree.
Activities
1.- Initial analysis and methodology.
2.- Selection of the type of sensors needed for the study.
3.- Integration of these sensors on board the drones, verifying their correct availability for the flight.
4.- Carry out the flight tasks obtaining enough data to be analyzed.
5.- Take foliar samples from the olive groves.
6.- Analyze the samples in the laboratory in order to obtain real data from the plantations.
7.- Search for relationships between the captured images and the laboratory results through algorithms of image processing and statistical analysis in order to obtain conclusions within the project.
8.- Dissemination of the results of the Project.
Project details
- Main funding source
- Rural development 2014-2020 for Operational Groups
- Rural Development Programme
- 2014ES06RDRP001 Spain - Rural Development Programme (Regional) - Andalucía
Location
- Main geographical location
- Jaén
- Other geographical location
- Granada, Málaga
EUR 300 000.00
Total budget
Total contributions from EAFRD, national co-financing, additional national financing and other financing.
4 Practice Abstracts
Fundación Caja Rural de Jaén through its laboratory, Olivarum, will perform the following functions:
-Initial analysis and methodology to follow in the project.
-Contribution in the design and planning of samplings and sampling protocols in the field of the different materials to analyze.
-Olive analysis.
-Olive-oil quality analysis.
-Olive-leaf analysis.
-Soil analysis.
-Collaboration in the research and data analysis.
-Collaboration elaborating the ending of the research.
The utility of the obtained results will have implications in the following aspects:
-Determine the optimum moment for fruit harvesting, which guarantees an optimal balance between oil quality and fat yield.
-Make a quick diagnosis of the nutritional status in olive trees and adjust the fertilizer doses according to the requirement of the crop, based on the data of the nutrient content of the leaf and the availability of nutrients in the soil and the physical-chemical characteristics of it.
-Carry out irrigation schedules adjusted to the water needs of the crop, based on the physical-chemical properties of the soil.
The IFAPA activity focuses on the determination from images taken by unmanned flight systems of the optimum fruit harvesting date to obtain the greatest amount of virgin olive oil of the best organoleptic and nutritional characteristics.
For the filmed olive trees we will monitor the oil synthesis in the olive fruit . The oil will be extracted and the quality parameters, sensory characteristics and bioactive compounds will be analysed.
The results will allow to improve the yields of the olive orchards, establishing the end of the oil synthesis. In addition, it will be possible to establish the optimum fruit harvesting date to obtain extra virgin olive oil of the highest quality, increasing the profits and avoiding the fruit natural drop on the ground that gives lower quality oils.
Therefore, there will be an increase in the profitability of the olive orchards and the value of the oil obtained.
From the Group of Robotics, Automation and Computer Vision of the University of Jaén will work mainly in the following phases:
- Collaboration for the selection of the sensors that will be installed in the drones.
- Collaboration to prepare flight plans and sampling plans.
- Design and implementation of a database to store the images captured by the drones and the laboratory results.
- Search for relationships between captured images and laboratory results through image processing algorithms and statistical analysis.
The results obtained after undertaking the different phases of the project may be useful for the following practical applications:
- Determination of the optimum moment of harvesting of the fruit through the automatic determination of its maturity index.
- Establish more efficient irrigation programs through measurements of soil moisture, plant temperature and soil evapotranspiration.
- Establish specific and selective fertilizer application programs adapted to the health status of the plant through measures of chlorophyll levels in leaves, leaf density per plant, water stress of the plant and nutritional stress.
Within the Project, it is expected to achieve results that support the application of precision agriculture based on RPAS (Remotely Manned Aerial Systems, usually called "drones") in olive grove agriculture.
For this, through FADA.-
1. The type of sensors necessary for the study will be selected.
2. The selected sensors will be integrated on board the drones and their correct availability for the flight will be verified.
3. Flights will be made in the selected areas to obtain the images under analysis.
4. The captured images and the laboratory results will be related through algorithms of image processing and statistical analysis in order to obtain conclusions within the project.
The technologies based on remote sensing applied to agriculture are more or less evolved for other types of crops, although they have not yet been perfected in olive cultivation.
The expected results are to be able to obtain important data from the olive groves from sensors on board to manage agricultural activities in a more efficient way.
If these results are achieved it should be possible to disseminate them in different instances (universities, industry forums, industry, etc.) so that the level of technology reached can be applied by the industry (mainly small and medium-sized enterprises) in a generalized manner , and thus help farmers obtain their products more efficiently from the point of view not only of costs, but also in the use of water, products and energy.
Contacts
Project coordinator
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CENTRO PROVINCIAL DE JÓVENES AGRICULTORES (ASAJA JAÉN)
Project coordinator
Project partners
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ASAJA ALMERIA
Project partner
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ASAJA CORDOBA
Project partner
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ASAJA GRANADA
Project partner
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ASAJA MÁLAGA
Project partner
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FUNDACIÓN ANDALUZA DE DESARROLLO AEROESPACIAL (FADA)
Project partner
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FUNDACIÓN CAJA RURAL DE JAÉN
Project partner
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INSTITUTO DE INVESTIGACIÓN Y FORMACIÓN AGRARIA Y PESQUERA (IFAPA)
Project partner
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UNIVERSIDAD DE JAÉN
Project partner