Toward the Next Generation of Digitalization in Agriculture Based on Digital Twin Paradigm

Digitalization has impacted agricultural and food production systems, and makes application of technologies and advanced data processing techniques in agricultural field possible. Digital farming aims to use available information from agricultural assets to solve several existing challenges for addressing food security, climate protection, and resource management. However, the agricultural sector is complex, dynamic, and requires sophisticated management systems. The digital approaches are expected to provide more optimization and further decision-making supports. Digital twin in agriculture is a virtual representation of a farm with great potential for enhancing productivity and efficiency while declining energy usage and losses. This review describes the state-of-the-art of digital twin concepts along with different digital technologies and techniques in agricultural contexts. It presents a general framework of digital twins in soil, irrigation, robotics, farm machineries, and food post-harvest processing in agricultural field. Data recording, modeling including artificial intelligence, big data, simulation, analysis, prediction, and communication aspects (e.g., Internet of Things, wireless technologies) of digital twin in agriculture are discussed. Digital twin systems can support farmers as a next generation of digitalization paradigm by continuous and real-time monitoring of physical world (farm) and updating the state of virtual world.

Effect of Selected Trichoderma Strains and Metabolites on Olive Drupes

Beneficial fungal strains of the genus Trichoderma are used as biofungicides and plant growth promoters. Trichoderma strains promote the activation of plant defense mechanisms of action, including the production of phenolic metabolites. In this work, we analyzed the effects of selected Trichoderma strains (T. asperellum KV906, T. virens GV41, and T. harzianum strains TH1, M10, and T22) and their metabolites (harzianic acid and 6-pentyl-α-pyrone) on drupes of young olive trees (4-year-old) cv. Carolea. This study used the untargeted analysis of drupe metabolome, carried out by LC–MS Q-TOF, to evaluate the phenolics profiles and target metabolomics approach to detect oleuropein and luteolin. The untargeted approach showed significant differences in the number and type of phenolic compounds in olive drupes after Trichoderma applications (by root dipping and drench soil irrigation method) compared to control. The levels of oleuropein (secoiridoid) and luteolin (flavonoid) varied according to the strain or metabolite applied, and in some cases, were less abundant in treated plants than in the control. In general, flavonoids’ levels were influenced more than secoiridoid production. The dissimilar aptitudes of the biological treatments could depend on the selective competence to cooperate with the enzymes involved in producing the secondary metabolites to defend plants by environmental stresses. Our results suggest that using selected fungi of the genus Trichoderma and their metabolites could contribute to selecting the nutraceutical properties of the olive drupe. The use of the metabolites would bring further advantages linked to the dosage in culture and storage.

GSM based Smart Irrigation System

Irrigation is defined as artificial software of water to land or soil. Irrigation manner may be used for the cultivation of agricultural plants at some point of the span of insufficient rainfall and for keeping landscapes. an automatic irrigation machine does the operation of a machine without requiring manual involvement of folks. each irrigation gadget such as drip, sprinkler and surface get automated with the assist of digital home equipment and detectors such as computer, timers, sensors and different mechanical gadgets. the automatic irrigation gadget on sensing soil moisture assignment is supposed for the development of an irrigation machine that switches submersible pumps on or off with the aid of the use of relays to perform this action on sensing the moisture content material of the soil. the main benefit of the usage of this irrigation machine is to reduce human interference and ensure right irrigation. The targets of this paper have been to control the water motor mechanically with the help of soil moisture sensor. in the end ship the facts (operation of the motor) of the farm field to the cell message to the user. an automatic irrigation gadget for efficient water control has been proposed.

Improved Soil Irrigation System Using IOT Recommendation

Farming remaining parts the area which contributes the most noteworthy to country. However, while considering innovation that is conveyed in this field, we locate that the improvement isn't gigantic. Presently a day's there is immense upgrade in advances which essentially affect different fields like horticulture, medical services and so forth Farming is the essential occupation in our country. The progression of water is overseen by solenoid valve. The opening and shutting of valve is done when a sign is send through microcontroller. The water to the base of plant is done drop by drop utilizing precipitation firearm and when the dampness level again become ordinary then sensor detects it and impart a sign to microcontroller and the worth is then shut. The IOT and microcontroller are associated and when dampness of the dirt become low dampness sensor sense it and impart sign to microcontroller. IOT assists with getting to data and settle on significant dynamic cycle by getting various qualities from sensors like soil dampness, sensors, water quality and so on.

Functional relationship between photosynthetic leaf gas exchange in response to silicon application and water stress mitigation in sugarcane

Background Water stress is one of the serious abiotic stresses that negatively influences the growth, development and production of sugarcane in arid and semi-arid regions. However, silicon (Si) has been applied as an alleviation strategy subjected to environmental stresses. Methods In this experiment, Si was applied as soil irrigation in sugarcane plants to understand the mitigation effect of Si against harmful impact of water stress on photosynthetic leaf gas exchange. Results In the present study we primarily revealed the consequences of low soil moisture content, which affect overall plant performance of sugarcane significantly. Silicon application reduced the adverse effects of water stress by improving the net photosynthetic assimilation rate (Anet) 1.35–18.75%, stomatal conductance to water vapour (gs) 3.26–21.57% and rate of transpiration (E) 1.16–17.83%. The mathematical models developed from the proposed hypothesis explained the functional relationships between photosynthetic responses of Si application and water stress mitigation. Conclusions Silicon application showed high ameliorative effects on photosynthetic responses of sugarcane to water stress and could be used for mitigating environmental stresses in other crops, too, in future.

Evaluating Several Models of Quality Management and Impacts on Lychee Price Applying for Vietnam Agriculture Products Value Chain Sustainable Development

Sustainability of Vietnam agriculture value chain will be dependent on various factors such as skills and experience of farmers, advanced technology, agricultural engineering, standards and models such as VIETGAP or GLOBAL GAP, etc. The role is still important, but Vietnam's agricultural production still has many Weakness points compared to other countries in the region when comparing resource use efficiency (land, water and labor). As a result, the efficiency of agricultural production tends to decrease recently. Specifically, the growth in average agricultural labor productivity annual rate of Vietnam also decreased correspondingly from 2.7% in the period 1990-1999 to 2.5% in the period 2000-2013 (World Bank, 2016). In Vietnam, we will evaluate the effectiveness of VIETGAP and GLOBAL GAP models, principles and standards applying in Vietnam agriculture value chain in a specific case study. The research results show a strict condition for applying VIETGAP and GLOBAL GAP for better quality in agriculture, including: Conditions for soil, irrigation water, fertilizers, pest control, etc. Last but not least, we also use an econometric model to measure impacts of multi macro factors on lychee price in Vietnam market over past years 2014-2019. Regression results show that we need to control inflation at low level, stable GDP growth and trade balance and exchange rate to stabilize lychee price. The research findings are of value to policy makers, farmers and investors in making decisions to invest for sustainability of Vietnam agriculture value chain. We will also make suggestions for commercial bank system in agriculture sector development.

Dynamics of spatial and temporal outflow from a soil column influenced by earthworm activity

<p>Earthworms are known as ecosystem engineers, which influence the chemical and physical properties in their own environment and thereby strongly modify soil processes. Soil structure (soil aggregates and macropores) formed by earthworms during burrowing activity may influence the soil moisture retention and water flow, enhancing infiltration into deep soil layers.</p><p>We studied the influence of anecic earthworms (<em>Lumbricus terrestris</em> fed on poplar leaves) on the spatial and temporal variability in water outflow and storage through a soil column. Therefore, we established a cylinder (30cm diameter, 50cm high) with silty loamy soil. At the bottom boundary, 15 fiberglass wicks drain the water from the soil column. With these wicks the water outflow is measured with a spatial and temporal resolution.  After an initial wetting of the soil, irrigation of the soil cylinder was done twice per week with a full cone nozzle, with an intensity of 36 mm/h and a duration of 20 minutes After 17 weeks 10 adult earthworms were added to the column. The research design consists of three phases (i) soil-filled column ( 14  weeks, with a gap of 4 weeks in the middle due to the corona lockdown) (ii) transition phase: initial earthworm activity (3 days) (iii) soil column with earthworm created structure (7 weeks).</p><p>After the experiment, the column was excavated carefully by layers of 4cm at a time. All of the earthworms were found back alive in the column. There was evidence of earthworm burrows down to 26 cm depth in the soil column, earthworm created aggregates were seen only in the top few centimeters.</p><p>We expected the outflow of water from the soil column to change due to the earthworm activity: on the one hand, the creation of macroaggregates was expected to increase the water retention in the soil, and on the other hand, the macropores were expected to create a stronger spatial variability in outflow and a more rapid reaction of outflow to the irrigation events. </p><p>We observed mainly an earlier and slightly higher peak in the total outflow of the column coinciding with an earlier and higher peak in the spatial variability in the outflow of the wicks.</p>