ASHS 2024 Conference

Incorporating data-driven technologies into agriculture offers an effective strategy for optimizing crop production, particularly in regions reliant on irrigation. This becomes increasingly crucial in the face of escalating heatwaves and droughts associated with climate change. Recent advancements in sensor technologies have spawned various methods for assessing irrigation needs. Notably, infrared thermometry stands out as a non-destructive remote sensing method capable of monitoring transpiration, holding significant potential for integration into drone- or satellite-based remote sensing models. This study focuses on the application of infrared thermometry to develop a Crop Water Stress Index (CWSI) model for European hazelnuts (Corylus avellana), a significant crop in Oregon, the leading hazelnut-producing state in the United States. Using low-cost open-source infrared thermometers and data loggers, this research aims to provide hazelnut farmers with a practical tool for monitoring crop water status, improving irrigation efficiency, and ultimately enhancing hazelnut yields. The study, spanning from June to September 2021 in a ‘Jefferson’ hazelnut (Corylus avellana) orchard, applied three distinct irrigation treatments. The calibration of the low-cost IRT sensors achieved a high accuracy (R² = 0.99), validating their utility in detecting variations in canopy temperature consistent with irrigation treatments. The developed CWSI is well-correlated with traditional plant water status indicators including stem water potential, leaf conductance, and transpiration. These results demonstrate the potential of this model to accurately reflect physiological symptoms of water stress in hazelnuts. This research not only introduces a novel CWSI model tailored to hazelnuts but also underscores the utility of low-cost technology in enhancing agricultural monitoring and decision-making.

Controlling water cycles, anticipating disasters, and enhancing agriculture depends on accurate soil moisture understanding. To address climate-related challenges, precise and real-time measurements from soil moisture sensors are essential. Radio Frequency (RF) soil moisture sensors are wireless, low-cost, and simple devices that revolutionize agriculture with real-time accuracy, advance environmental science, and promote sustainable resource management. This study aims to calibrate an innovative chip-based RF sensor using the gravimetric method for moisture content detection. Sensor calibration will be performed for sandy and loamy soils, as varying soil types affect the dielectric constant and complex permittivity measured by RF sensors. The project will explore linear and polynomial regression machine learning techniques to improve the accuracy, efficiency, and reliability of the calibration curves. A pot test with sandy and loamy soils will validate the sensor for moisture content monitoring by comparing it with a commercial moisture content device. The detection range of the sensor is calibrated and validated up to 35% moisture content. This research can demonstrate the accuracy, simplicity, affordability, and robustness of the chip-based RF sensor for soil moisture detection, contributing to the improvement of precision agricultural enhancements.

Substrate electrical conductivity (EC) measurement is a required Best Management Practice (BMP) for the application of supplemental fertilizers in Florida nursery and greenhouse industries to protect and conserve water resources. The current method of measuring substrate EC is through the Pour-through (PT) procedure, a multi-step method in which representative plants are selected for EC measurement, and a predetermined volume of water is poured on the surface of each test plant. The resulting leachate is collected and EC is determined using an EC meter. This process can be extensive for large-scale nursery production zones, requiring a significant amount of time and manual labor. With the personnel shortages that exist in production nurseries, technologies are needed to improve and optimize EC measurement and recordkeeping so the BMP is effective. This project aims to develop a new, sensor-based method for measuring EC to reduce the time invested by producers compared to the current PT method and provide real-time information on the fertility status of container-grown plants. To achieve this goal, a variety of low-cost, soil-based EC sensors were selected for measuring container substrate EC. Laboratory tests were conducted to evaluate the impact of various environmental parameters on sensor performance and select an optimal sensor for use in this application. A sensor system was designed for field deployment and wireless communication was established to monitor sensor data remotely. A field study is currently being conducted to compare EC data obtained from the sensors to EC measurements collected manually using the PT procedure and develop a protocol for sensor deployment in nurseries. At the end of the experiment, a destructive soil sampling technique will be employed to examine salt stratification within the nursery containers and help determine optimal sensor placement in the pots. This study highlights the need for technology and data-driven methods in modern agricultural practices to address challenges such as production efficiency and personnel shortages.

In agricultural facility, which are equipped with mechanical and closed ventilation systems, have faced the challenge to reduce fine dust concentration for enhancing working environment. Among the dust sources, fruit fuzz, characterized by its dense and needle-like structure, can induce allergic symptoms in agricultural workers upon exposure to their respiratory systems and skin, adversely impacting their health and deteriorating the work environment. The focus of this research is the development of a fine dust reduction system aimed at enhancing the working conditions. The system operates by generating a downward airflow to prevent fine dust from reaching the workers' respiratory systems. To assess the efficacy of the fine dust reduction system, real-time measurements of dust concentrations were conducted at commercial peach sorting stations, both before and after the operation of this system. The findings revealed that during peach sorting task, the total dust concentration was 6.89 times higher than the normal condition, representing the critical need for reducing fine dust levels. The deployment of a particulate matter reduction system specifically within the fruit sorting area, a section identified for substantial dust generation due to the removal process of fruit covering bags, has led to a substantial decrease in airborne particulate concentrations. This targeted intervention resulted in an 80.4% reduction in Total Suspended Particulate (TSP) levels and a 60.3% decrease in PM-10 concentrations at the site of implementation. Additionally, a broader assessment across the entire sorting facility revealed a significant decline in fine dust levels, with TSP concentrations diminishing by 67.6% and PM-10 concentrations by 52.2%. This research underscores the efficacy of targeted fine dust control measures within agricultural facilities, markedly enhancing air quality and the occupational environment for agricultural laborers.

These days it has become almost impossible to depend on climate for agricultural production of any crops mainly horticultural crops. Unpredictable climate conditions have been a significant challenge to growers. Therefore, it is an urgent need for horticultural educators, researchers, and growers to come up with new approach to explore new farming techniques. This abstract is to discuss over 8 years experiences of research and education on Indoor Ag includes hydroponics with vertical, horizontal, fully automated, or partially automated farming techniques. It has enormous potential to overcome all challenges that is claimed to grow plants and global food security due to population growth, unpredictable climate, water scarcity, space, labor, and food safety related. Indoor Ag is mainly soilless, it is controlled environment agriculture (CEA). Opening educating opportunities to new generation who can come up with new innovative designs with new techniques to improve it for better. In recent times Indoor Ag has come up with very high expectation, and capable of growing plants from several hundred times more than traditional farming per year. Besides, Indoor Ag (IA) facility or controlled environment agriculture could produce the best quality crops. With the experiences in Indoor Ag along with traditional outdoor Ag, the conclusion is we need to develop education, research, and extension curricula about Indoor Ag, urgently. Indoor Ag as a new discipline it has a few challenges but could be overcome easily by our intelligent next generation students. They can take Indoor Ag education, research and production techniques as the future Horticulture. At present, globally a limited number of faculties and researchers has been involved that needed to be increased through interest and hands-on training in this new technology. It has been observed, most of the Indoor Ag is run by business owners and for business secret they cannot share their true success story to increase competition that we all agree. But we researchers who have been working for the better future to overcome multifaceted challenges can see the Indoor Ag as potential alternative. Therefore, now is the time we should adopt Horticultural education, research, and production through Indoor Ag. We need to develop academic courses, education, and research activities from K-12 to undergraduate and graduate programs in college and Universities. So, whoever involved in agricultural research and education at this moment Indoor Ag should be our goal to make it future global horticulture education, research, and production method.