Crop weight measurement sensor for IoT based industrial greenhouse systems

A. Avotins¹*, A. Potapovs¹, P. Apse-Apsitis¹ and J. Gruduls²

¹Riga Technical University, Institute of Industrial Electronics and Electrical Engineering, Azenes 12, LV-1048 Riga, Latvia
²SIA ‘Latgales darzenu logistika’ greenhouse, “Kloneshniki”, Mezvidi parish, LV-5725 Karsava region, Latvia
*Correspondence: ansis.avotins@rtu.lv

Abstract:

Nowadays the industrial management systems are changing by means of implementing various Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, allowing a simple integration of sensor technologies with wireless communications and development of cloud based database solutions. The industrial greenhouse management systems are not the exception in this regard, as they are becoming more and more popular with the use of various sensors for the automation of the vegetable and other crop cultivation process.The general aim they have is to raise the level of process automation, quality, energy efficiency and other important parameters. The implemented technologies and environment of industrial greenhouse can be different fir the research type laboratories, as they are focused on production, therefore this research is conducted in cooperation with tomato producing industrial greenhouse of SIA ‘Latgales darzenu logistika’ focusing on IoT based crop weight measurement.

Key words:

Weed community trajectories in cereal and willow cultivations after termination of a willow short rotation coppice

M. Welc*, A. Lundkvist, N-E. Nordh and T. Verwijst

Department of Crop Production Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7043, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
*Correspondence: Monika.Welc@slu.se

Abstract:

According to guidelines for willow short rotation coppice (SRC), weeding is needed during establishment, while weed populations which develop later under a well-established willow canopy do not require control. However, farmers are concerned that weeds which develop in SRC may result in long-lasting weed infestations in succeeding crops after SRC termination. We assessed the effects of two SRC-termination methods (with shallow and deep soil cultivation) on the development of the weed flora in a cereal system (CS) and in SRC during six seasons. Richness, ground cover, life-cycle strategy and composition of the weed species, and their environmental requirements (inferred from Ellenberg index) were evaluated.
SRC-termination method had no effect on the weed community trajectories in the succeeding SRC and CS. However, cropping system and growing season had significant impacts on species richness, ground cover and composition of the weed flora.
Differences in weed communities over time and between cropping systems were related to the impact of cropping systems on factors such as light, soil moisture, nitrogen level, and soil reaction, as inferred from the Ellenberg index. After termination of the old willow cultivation, the weed flora of the SRC and CS rapidly diverged and approached the weed flora characteristic for old willow stands and non-weeded old cereal plot, respectively. We conclude that willow stands can be converted, regardless of termination method, either into willow or cereal cultivations without additional risk of weed infestations other than those specific for their respective cropping systems. Furthermore, willow cultivations in agriculture contribute to floristic diversity at the landscape scale.

Key words:

crop, diversity, Ellenberg index, flora, life cycle, Salix spp., short rotation forestry, termination method, weed outbreak, weed species composition, weed species ground cover, weed species richness