Green Citrus Detection and Counting in Orchards Based on YOLOv5-CS and AI Edge System

Green citrus detection in citrus orchards provides reliable support for production management chains, such as fruit thinning, sunburn prevention and yield estimation. In this paper, we proposed a lightweight object detection YOLOv5-CS (Citrus Sort) model to realize object detection and the accurate counting of green citrus in the natural environment. First, we employ image rotation codes to improve the generalization ability of the model. Second, in the backbone, a convolutional layer is replaced by a convolutional block attention module, and a detection layer is embedded to improve the detection accuracy of the little citrus. Third, both the loss function CIoU (Complete Intersection over Union) and cosine annealing algorithm are used to get the better training effect of the model. Finally, our model is migrated and deployed to the AI (Artificial Intelligence) edge system. Furthermore, we apply the scene segmentation method using the “virtual region” to achieve accurate counting of the green citrus, thereby forming an embedded system of green citrus counting by edge computing. The results show that the [email protected] of the YOLOv5-CS model for green citrus was 98.23%, and the recall is 97.66%. The inference speed of YOLOv5-CS detecting a picture on the server is 0.017 s, and the inference speed on Nvidia Jetson Xavier NX is 0.037 s. The detection and counting frame rate of the AI edge system-side counting system is 28 FPS, which meets the counting requirements of green citrus.

Phenology and fruit set of peach trees cultivated in Dois Vizinhos, Paraná State, Brazil

Understanding the dormancy phases and dynamics of commercial cultivars in the regions where they are grown allows for the implementation of different cultural practices and aids in the understanding of the temperature requirements for collaboration with genetic improvement programs. The objective of this study was to determine the budding, flowering, and fruit set rates of peach trees cultivated in the municipality of Dois Vizinhos, Southwestern Paraná, Brazil. The present work was developed using the collection of peach trees in the fruit growing sector of the Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná. Sixteen peach cultivars were evaluated: Rubimel, Leonense, Coral, Marli, Charme, Riograndense, Douradão, Chimarrita, Granada, BR-1, Bonão, and Eldorado (all planted in 2009), as well as Regalo, Kampai, Fascínio, and Zilli (planted in 2014). The experimental design was completely randomized with four replications of one plant each, in a 16 × 2 bifactorial arrangement (cultivars × year/harvest). Phenology evaluations were performed weekly by counting open (anthesis) and sprouted flower buds, and the fruit set rate was measured just before fruit thinning. Flowering (%), budding (%), and fruit set (%) rates were calculated. It was found that the year/harvest 2016 promoted the highest rates of sprouting and fruit set. The Bonão cultivar showed greater flowering intensity and regularity in the crop years evaluated (2016 and 2017). Coral and Kampai present fruit sets with greater intensities and regularities when compared to the other cultivars evaluated under the climatic condition of the municipality of Dois Vizinhos. The Riograndense cultivar showed greater irregularity in flowering and fruit production.

PERTUMBUHAN DAN HASIL BLEWAH (Cucumis melo var. cantalupensis L.) PADA TINGKAT PENJARANGAN BUAH DAN DOSIS PUPUK NPK BERBEDA

[PRODUCTIVITY AND FRUIT QUALITY OF CANTALOUPE AT DIFFERENT RATES OF FRUIT THINNING AND NPK FERTILIZER APPLICATION]. Productivity and fruit quality of cantaloupe depend on the availability of nutrients and the number of fruits maintained. The aim of this study was to compare the productivity and fruit quality of cantaloupe at different rates of fruit thinning and NPK fertilizer application. The research was conducted in August-October 2020 on street Kapuas V, Lingkar Barat Village, Gading Cempaka District, Bengkulu city. A field experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with 3 replications for alloting two factorial treatments structure, namely rates of fruit thinning (no fruit thinning, thinned to one fruit /plant, thinned to two fruits/plant, and thinned to three fruits/plant) and rates of NPK fertilizer application (400, 600, and 800 kg/ha) on rhe experimental plots. The results showed that fruit thinnings resulted no increament in crop productivity, but the fruit quality was improved as fewer number of fruits were retained on each plant. The NPK fertilizer at 400, 600, and 800 kg/ha were not able to increase the productivity of cantaloupe and the quality of the produced fruit when the application were made only at planting and 23 days after planting.

Effect of pruning and mechanical fruit thinning on crop load and berry and wine composition of Tempranillo in Texas

Tempranillo is the second most planted variety in Texas. However, over-cropping can be an issue. Crop load can be managed by pruning and mechanical fruit thinning. Mechanizing fruit thinning provides three benefits: yield reduction, berry thinning to decrease cluster compactness and reduce fungal disease and lower production costs than fruit thinning by hand (Tardaguila et al., 2008). In this study, crop load was manipulated by pruning and mechanical fruit thinning and its effect was determined on berry and wine quality.

Efectos de la intensidad y momento de raleo en Cerezo (Prunus avium) cv Santina / Effects of intensity and the moment of fruit thinning in Cherries (Prunus avium) cv Santina

Se evaluaron los efectos de la intensidad y momentos de raleo sobre la calidad de la fruta de cerezo dulce cv Santina para el mercado de exportación. El ensayo se realizó en la zona de Vista Alegre sur (Pcia del Neuquén) en una plantación de alta densidad con conducción en “tatura”, homogénea en características edáficas y manejo; con riego microaspersión para el control de heladas. Se seleccionaron 25 árboles similares en desarrollo y se asignaron al azar cinco tratamientos (T0- Testigo, T1- Raleo del 50% de yemas en dormancia, T2- Raleo del 50% de ramilletes florales, T3- Raleo del 50% de frutos a 15 días del cuaje y T4- Raleo de 50% frutos a 25 días del cuaje). La cosecha se realizó en una pasada, se pesó la totalidad de los frutos de las plantas seleccionadas y de una muestra de 125 frutos se determinó peso individual, calibre, categorías de color (según tabla de color INTA), firmeza, materia seca, sólidos solubles y acidez titulable. Según los datos obtenidos en esta primera temporada, el raleo del 50% de yemas sería el más conveniente para lograr las mejores características de la fruta para exportación en este cultivar de cosecha temprana

PENGARUH PEMBERIAN BERBAGAI KONSENTRASI MOL REBUNG BAMBU DAN PENJARANGAN BUAH TERHADAP PERTUMBUHAN DAN HASIL TANAMAN LABU MADU (Cucurbita moschata Durchesne)

The obstacle faced when cultivating honey pumpkins (Cucurbita moschata Durchesne) is that the fruit size is not uniform and even tends to get smaller so that the results are not satisfactory and are not accepted in the market. This study aims to examine the effect of the combined application of the MOL of bamboo concentration with fruit thinning on the growth and production of honey pumpkins, which was carried out from May to September 2020 in PT. Pupuk Sriwijaya land, H. Agus Salim street No. 1 Handil Jaya Village, Jelutung District, Jambi. This study used a factorial randomized block design with 2 factors, the first factor being the provision of MOL of bamboo which consisted of 4 levels of concentration, namely; without presenting the MOL of bamboo (b0), MOL of bamboo 20 ml L-1 (b1), 40 ml L-1 (b2), and 60 ml L-1 (b3). The second factor is fruit thinning, consisting of 3 levels, namely; without fruit thinning (p0), fruit thinning to 4 pieces (p1), and fruit thinning to 6 pieces (p2) with 3 replications. The results showed that the combination of concentration MOL of bamboo of 40 ml L-1 and fruit thinning to 4 pieces resulted in higher plant growth yields and greater fruit weight. This study showed that these two factors were involved in the growth and yield of honey pumpkins.

A Sustainable Viticulture Method Adapted to the Cold Climate Zone in China

Due to the particularity of the continental monsoon climate in China, more than 90% of the wine grape cultivation areas require vines to be buried in winter for a burial period that can extend to half a year. Additionally, traditional vine cultivation practices can expose the surface of the soil during winter, easily leading to soil erosion. To meet the restrictive factors for viticulture in the Chinese cold climate zone, a new sustainable viticulture strategy called crawled cordon mode (CCM) has been developed. CCM includes crawled cordon training (CCT), physical methods of flower and fruit thinning, winter suspension of shoots, the use of a biodegradable liquid film, and covering of grass and branches for simplified management of vineyards. This article summarizes the specific implementation methods of the main measures of CCM and their significant effects on the quality of grapes and wine, ecological environment, and costs, and aims to provide inspiration for the study of sustainable and eco-friendly cultivation measures for vineyards in other cold climate zones.

Fruit Development and Primary Metabolism in Apple

Apples (Malus domestica Borkh.) represent one of the most produced fruits worldwide, along with citrus and bananas. As high quality is an important trait for the consumer, many studies have focused on the research of new techniques to ensure and preserve the optimal organoleptic characteristics of this fruit. However, despite the huge number of studies on recent technological advances dealing with fruit final quality, less research has focused on the physiological aspects of apple development, including a variety of processes triggered after fertilization, such as photosynthesis, assimilation of carbohydrates, cell division, and cell enlargement, which determine apple final quality. In the present review, we summarize some of the most important changes and mechanisms linked to the primary metabolism of apples, as well as the effect of agronomic practices, such as fruit thinning, as key factors to improve apple quality and meet consumer demands, with the aim of amassing available information and suggesting future directions of research.

Weed Management and Economic Analysis of a Robotic Lawnmower: A Case Study in a Japanese Pear Orchard

The use of robots is increasing in agriculture, but there is a lack of suitable robotic technology for weed management in orchards. A robotic lawnmower (RLM) was installed, and its performance was studied between 2017 and 2019 in a pear orchard (1318 m2) at Ibaraki University, Ami. We found that the RLM could control the weeds in an orchard throughout a year at a minimum height (average weed height, WH: 44 ± 15 mm, ± standard deviation (SD) and dry weed biomass, DWB: 103 ± 25 g m−2). However, the RLM experiences vibration problems while running over small pears (33 ± 8 mm dia.) during fruit thinning periods, which can stop blade mobility. During pear harvesting, fallen fruits (80 ± 12 mm dia.) strike the blade and become stuck within the chassis of the RLM; consequently, the machine stops frequently. We estimated the working performance of a riding mower (RM), brush cutter (BC), and a walking mower (WM) in a pear orchard and compared the mowing cost (annual ownership, repair and maintenance, energy, oil, and labor) with the RLM. The study reveals that the RLM performs better than other conventional mowers in a small orchard (0.33 ha). For a medium (0.66 ha) and larger (1 ha) orchard, the RLM is not more cost-effective than RM and WM. However, the existing RLM performed weed control well and showed promise for profitability in our research field. We believe that, if field challenges like fallen fruit and tree striking problems can be properly addressed, the RLM could be successfully used in many small orchards.