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Precision Agriculture in Plant Production

Course developers

Course abstract

Principles of precision agriculture, it’s divisions. Principles and applications of Global Positioning (GPS) and Geographic Information System (GIS), types of coordinates and maps. Sensors, aerial photos, drones, mobile devices. Soil sampling, sowing condition assessment, technology optimization according to agrochemical parameters. Yield maps, their design technology, creation and analysis. Basic principles of the research of the factors determining yield differences. Management of global positioning technologies on the farm. Specialized cameras and software for crop production. Use of the principles of precision agriculture in horticulture – today’s achievements and future opportunities. New, non-destructive quality control systems for growing, grading, storing and marketing horticultural produce. Advanced greenhouse horticulture – use of sensors, automation, IT; energy-efficiency.
The aim of the course is to prepare knowledgeable specialists in precision agriculture.

Learning outcomes and their assessment

1. In-depth knowledge of the principles of precision agriculture and their application in the production of high-quality agricultural products in a modern company – tests.
2. Skills to evaluate the use of modern technologies in the production of agricultural products in relation to the type of production, the size and conditions of the enterprise, to plan various technologies of cultivated plant production, applying the latest scientific and technological achievements; to independently learn the latest information in the industry – tests and an essay.
3. Competences to understand and analyze scientific and professional information, to prepare presentations, to justify their decisions and to substantiate their opinion – presentation of the essay in seminars.

Course Content(Calendar)

1. Introduction to the study course. Precision agriculture, its division and basic principles - 1 h.
2. Principles and application of Global Positioning (GPS) and Geographic Information System (GIS). Satellite system as a basis for coordinate determination, possible sources of error - 3 h.
3. Coordinates: polar, orthogonal and geographical coordinate systems. Three-dimensional coordinates of areas, their use. Topographic map, representation and application - 3 h.
4. Aerial photos. Sensors. Drones. Mobile equipment - 3 h.
Test No 1. Test on previously acquired topics (point 1 to 4).
5. Soil sampling. Assessment of sowing conditions. Optimization of technologies according to agrochemical indicators - 2 h.
6. Yield maps, their design technology, production and data analysis - 2 h.
7. Principles of assessment the factors determining yield differences. Performing technological process control with GPS and GIS. Management of GPS technologies on the farm - 2 h.
8. Cameras. Specialized computer software for determination of plant parameters - 1 h.
Test No 2. Test on previously acquired topics (point 5 to 8).
9. Precision fruit, berry, and field vegetable production and horticultural plant propagation. Advances in precision horticulture, future opportunities and current limitations. Risk reducing technologies, their implementation and importance - 4 h.
10. Modern greenhouse horticulture. Flower and vegetable production opportunities for 12 months a year. Using a closed system - opportunities, benefits and challenges. Scheduled production -
2 h.
11. Plant and crop quality monitoring systems in the garden. Modern, non-destructive fruit quality, crown design, etc. monitoring systems in the garden - 1 h.
12. Post-harvest quality control and grading systems. Traceability of production. Using product traceability and feedback from the field block to the consumer and back in product quality control and GIS database creation - 1 h.
Test No 3. in Precision Horticulture (point 9 to 12).

Number of hours of seminars and practical works 24 h
1. Visiting lecturer's seminar in the precision agriculture - 6 h.
2. Study visit to get acquainted with the experience of farms or companies in the acquisition of precise crop cultivation technologies - 3 h.
3. Study visits to greenhouse and open field horticultural companies to get acquainted with their experience in use of precision technologies in production, storage and marketing of horticultural produce - 9 h.
4. Study visit and training to get acquainted about recent research in precision horticulture - 3 h.
5. Oral presentation of the essay during the seminars - 3 h.

Requirements for awarding credit points

Three tests should be passed with a mark after certain topics. Each test consists of five theoretical questions.
An essay on the selected topic should be written and presented in the group during the seminars.
Written exam at the end of the course. Students, who successfully passed the tests, wrote the essay and presented it can take the exam.

Description of the organization and tasks of students’ independent work

An essay (14 pages) - a review of scientific literature must be prepared on a topic agreed with the lecturer. Only scientific articles published in international journals, international conference proceedings, or monographs can be used. The essay is presented to the student group at the seminar, the length of the presentation is 10 minutes. The student should be able to answer questions, discuss the topic and justify his/her opinion.
Preparing for the tests.
Literature studies.

Criteria for Evaluating Learning Outcomes

Students who have got at least 8 in the tests and the essay (in average) may get the arithmetic mean of these marks as final mark instead of passing the exam.
In order to be allowed to pass the exam, all tasks, evaluated with a mark, must be passed with at least 4 points. Unsuccessful jobs must be retried until positive.
The tests and the essay are graded on a 10-point scale.

Compulsory reading

1. Alberts M., Kreišmane Dz., Grīnbergs U. u.c. (2013). No: Nākotnes precīzās saimniekošanas tehnoloģijas Latvijas laukiem. Monogrāfija, SIA „Jelgavas tipogrāfija” 272 lpp.
2. Augļkopība (2015). Red. L. Ikase. Dobeles novads: LV Augļkopības institūts, 544 lpp.
3. Bušmanis P., Jansons V., Kārkliņš A., Kiršteina D. (2005). Lauksaimniecības un vides riska modelēšana ar ĢIS metodēm. No: Riski lauksaimniecībā un privātajā mežsaimniecībā. P. Rivžas red. Jelgava: LLU, TU, 363.–384. lpp.
4. Lapiņš D., Kažotnieks J. (2000). Laukkopība. Ozolnieki: LLKC. 247 lpp.
5. Modern technology in vegetable production (2011)/ed. by P. Hazra. Pitam Pura, New Delhi : New India Publishing Agency, 413 p.
6. Precision horticulture: (towards value addition and marketing) (2012) /S.K. Acharya [et al.]. Udaipur: Agrotech Publishing Academy, 248 p.
7. Srinivasan A. (2006). Handbook of Precision Agriculture Principles and Applications. London: Oxford. 683 p. ISBN-13: 978-1-56022-954-4
8. Stūrmanis E. (2006). Ģeoinformācijas sistēmas. Jelgava: LLU, RTU. 90. lpp.
9. Vilde A., Ruciņš Ā., Viesturs D. (2008). Globālās pozicionēšanas tehnoloģijas lauksaimniecībā. Jelgava: LLU. 47 lpp.

Further reading

1. An International Journal on Advances in Precision Agriculture. Available from 1999 till 2019. ISSN: 1385-2256
2. Book of Abstracts of all the posters. The 12th European Conference on Precision Agriculture. July 8 - 11, 2019, Montpellier: France. 203 p. ISBN 978-2-900792-49-0
3. Burrough P. A., McDonnell R. A., Lloyd C. D. (2015). Principles of Geographical Information Systems. Third edition. Oxford University press. 352 p.
4. Skrīvele M., Rubauskis E., Strautiņa S. (2011). Augļu koku un ogulāju veidošana. Rīga: Zvaigzne ABC,
96 lpp.
5. Stafford J. V. (2013). Precision agriculture ’13. Conference Proceedings. 824 p. ISBN 978-90-8686-224-5
6. Stafford J. V. (2015). Precision agriculture ’15. Conference Proceedings. 752 p. ISBN 978-90-8686-267-2
7. Stafford J. V. (2019). Precision agriculture ’19. Conference Proceedings. 1030 p. ISBN 978-90-8686-337-2
8. Strautiņa S., Kalniņa I. (2019). Avenes un to audzēšana. Rīga: Jumava, 111 lpp.
9. Temperate and subtropical fruit production (2006). D. I. Jackson, N. E. Looney (ed.). 2nd edition. UK: CABI Publishing, 332 p.
10. Valero, Daniel. (2010). Postharvest biology and technology for preserving fruit quality [elektroniskais resurss] / Daniel Valero and Maria Serrano. Boca Raton, Fla.: Taylor & Francis Group, 287 p.
11. Verma R. (2011). Innovative technology in horticulture science. New Delhi: Lakshya Sahitya,
269 p.
12. Wills R.B.H., McGlasson W.B., Graham D., Joyce D.C. (2007). Postharvest. An introduction to the physiology and handling of fruit, vegetables and ornamentals (5th edition), CABI publishing, 252 p.

Periodicals and other sources

Zinātniskie žurnāli un rakstu krājumi, kas pieejami LBTU FB abonētajās datu bāzēs, piem.,: Acta Horticulturae, Agricultural Systems, Research for Rural Development, Latvian Journal of Agronomy, Proceedings of the Latvia University of Agriculture, Profesionālā dārzkopība, Rural Sustainability Research, Soil and Tillage Research utt. - atbilstoši tematikai. Datortehnikas un datorprogrammu lietošanas instrukcijas u.c.

Notes

Compulsory study course. Academic masterʼs study program “Agriculture”.