Improving wild blueberry crop productivity using precision agriculture technologies

拟议倡议的总体目标是用创新的精准农业(PA)技术取代目前的统一管理做法，以便在野生蓝莓种植系统中现场应用农用化学品。目前，野生蓝莓生产商每年在农用化学品上的花费高达每公顷868加元。这相当于每年8000万加元，北美的产量为93,000公顷。通过这项研究项目，在达尔豪西大学达尔豪西农业校区(DAL-AC)的PA团队开发的用于现地应用的可靠且负担得起的PA技术的实施将减少农用化学品的使用，提高浆果产量并降低环境风险。拟议的研究还包括对研究生和研究助理的培训，以及对制片人和行业代表的持续“终身”应用教育。为实现这一目标，需要创新的可行的PA技术，包括：(1)开发用于点施除草剂和杀菌剂的紧凑型智能喷雾器的工作原型；(2)确定所开发的传感和控制系统在市售喷雾器(John Deere、Agco、Hardy和MS喷雾器)上的改进潜力和兼容性；(3)对清晨和深夜用于点施农用化学品的不同光源进行评估；(4)开发用于点施化肥的VR喷雾器的工作原型；以及(V)与统一使用农用化学品相比，量化现场应用提高作物生产力和环境效率的潜力。该项目旨在开发一种可行的工作原型智能喷雾器和肥料撒布器，用于实施特定于现场的应用，以提高农场的盈利能力。这项建议是DAL-AC与新泽西州Debert的Slack Farm合作进行的多学科研究工作的一部分。PA技术的实施将提高Slack Farm以及整个野生蓝莓产业的作物生产率和利润率。智能喷雾器和施肥器将在工业的帮助下商业化，以实现农民规模的现场应用。

The overall objective of the proposed initiative is to replace the current uniform management practices with innovative precision agriculture (PA) technologies for spot-application of agrochemicals in wild blueberry cropping systems. Currently, the wild blueberry producers spend as much as $868 CAD per ha per year on agrochemical applications. This equates to $80 million CAD per year with 93,000 ha in production in North America. The implementation of reliable and affordable PA technologies for spot-applications developed by the PA team at Dalhousie Agricultural Campus, Dalhousie University (DAL-AC) through this research project will reduce agrochemical usage, improve berry yield and reduce environmental risks. The proposed research also contains the training of graduate students and research associates, and the continuing "life long" applied education of producers and industry representatives. To achieve this, innovative viable PA technologies required include; (i) development of a working prototype compact smart sprayer for spot-application of herbicide and fungicide; (ii) identification of the retro-fitting potential and compatibility of the developed sensing and control system on the commercially available sprayers (John Deere, Agco, Hardy and MS sprayers); (iii) evaluations of the different light sources for spot-application of agrochemical during early morning and late evening; (iv) development of working prototype of VR spreader for spot-application of fertilizer; and (v) quantify the potential of spot-applications to improve crop productivity and environmental efficiency as compare to uniform application of agrochemicals. This project aims to develop a viable working prototype smart sprayer and fertilizer spreader for the implementation of spot-specific applications to increase farm profitability. This proposal is part of a multidisciplinary research effort at the Dal-AC in collaboration with Slack Farms, Debert, NS. Implementation of PA technologies will increase crop productivity and profit margins of Slack Farms as well as the wild blueberry industry as a whole. The smart sprayer and fertilizer spreader will be commercialized with the help of industry to accomplish spot-applications at famer's scale.