Enhancement of precision agriculture strategy for potato production using advanced sensing and automation techniques

马铃薯生产是全球最大的食品产业之一，2017年马铃薯年产量约为3.88亿吨。在加拿大，马铃薯是最大的蔬菜作物。作为包括McCain Foods Limited在内的大型马铃薯加工公司的所在地，2015/2016年加拿大加工马铃薯的出口额达到13.2亿美元。然而，全球消费量的增加、全球市场竞争的加剧以及在气候变化下保持生产竞争力的挑战越来越大，意味着需要做出更多努力来维持当地业务。本研究旨在通过解决种植者和生产者面临的问题，为提高马铃薯生产力做出贡献。我们计划将精准农业技术应用于两项田间作业：种植和喷洒。对种子放置的精确监控提供了种植过程的反馈，并允许实施校正措施以实现更均匀的种植。我们计划开发一种新的传感技术来创建种子地图，显示任何位置的种子和/或双种子。种子的均匀分布意味着以有竞争力的价格为种植者提供更多适销对路的产品，并减少加工厂的浪费。同样，我们将开发传感系统，并设计自走式喷雾器的机械改造，以使在生长季节可变的速度应用。高效的可变速率技术意味着在降低生产成本的同时保持相同的产量。我们计划使用市场上现有的传感器和设备进行机械改造，以便在田间成功地进行可变速率的杀虫剂和除草剂喷洒。这种发展的影响将是经济的，也是环境的。减少喷洒在植物上的化学品的数量将使土壤和水免受不必要的污染。这也将使杀虫剂和除草剂的效力保持更长的时间。保持可销售的产量将支持农村地区的经济和社会结构，并通过出口冷冻和加工马铃薯为加拿大提供收入。

Potato production is one of the biggest global food industries with an annual potato production of approximately 388 million tonnes in 2017. In Canada, potato is the largest vegetable crop. Home for big potato processing companies including McCain Foods Limited, Canadian exports of processed potatoes in 2015/2016 reached $1.32 billion. However, increasing worldwide consumption, increased global competition for markets, and growing challenges in maintaining competitive production under changing climate, mean more effort is required to maintain local business. This research aims to contribute to the efforts of improving potato productivity by addressing issues that growers and producers face. We plan to apply precision agriculture technique on two field operations: planting and spraying. Precise monitoring of seed placement provides feedback of the planting process and allows implementing correcting measures to achieve more equally spaced planting. We plan to develop a new sensing technology to create seed maps that shows lack of seeds and/or double seeds at any location. Homogeneous distribution of seeds means more marketable produce at competitive price for the grower, and less waste at the processing factory. Likewise, we will develop sensing systems and design mechanical modifications on self-propelled sprayer to enable variable rate application during the growing season. Efficient variable rate technology means maintaining the same yield while reducing production cost. We plan to introduce mechanical modifications using market available sensors and equipment so that variable rate spraying of pesticides and herbicides is carried out successfully in the field. The impact of such development will be economic as well as environmental. Reducing the amount of chemicals sprayed on plants will save soil and water from unnecessary contamination. This will also maintain efficacy of pesticides and herbicides for longer periods. Maintaining marketable yield will support the economy and social structure in rural areas and provide income to Canada through the export of frozen and processed potatoes.