Big Data Analytics in Agriculture

A special issue of AgriEngineering (ISSN 2624-7402).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2024 | Viewed by 5129

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Embrapa Agricultura Digital, UNICAMP Universidade Estadual de Campinas-Embrapa, Campinas 13083-886, SP, Brazil
Interests: statistical learning; big data analytics; intelligent systems in agriculture; smart farming

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Embrapa Agricultura Digital, UNICAMP Universidade Estadual de Campinas-Embrapa, Campinas 13083-886, SP, Brazil
Interests: machine learning; data science; information representation

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Embrapa Agricultura Digital, UNICAMP Universidade Estadual de Campinas-Embrapa, Campinas 13083-886, SP, Brazil
Interests: biomathematics; machine learning; data science

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Modern agriculture is challenged to ensure food security by providing food, fiber and clean energy in a sustainable way. The growth of data generated by modern agriculture and the rapid adoption of different converging technologies – nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology and cognitive science – to support the development of disruptive products and processes have become the main drivers of scientific discovery and innovation in digital agriculture.

As a result, agribusinesses are becoming larger and more diverse, which results in the growing volumes of complex data that has to be managed constantly. Such data include external data from social media, supplier network channels, and sensor/machine data from the field. This leads to the agricultural digital transformation, opening new opportunities. The technological revolution that is currently happening in the agricultural sector became possible due to, among other things, big data. Collecting and analyzing big data can not only improve the productivity of individual farms, but also help prevent a global food crisis.

The significance of the impact of big data in agriculture lies in the growing need to produce more food while using less land for it. To reach this goal, policymakers and industry leaders seek assistance from technological innovations, including big data, IoT, analytics, artificial intelligence, and cloud computing.

Another benefit from big data analytics practices is to help farmers and decision makers to save costs and open new business opportunities. Therefore, practical applications of big data analytics cover a broad spectrum of solutions in agriculture. Here are the main possibilities that come with big data use in agribusinesses: food safety, yield prediction, analysis of economically viable scenarios, pesticides use optimization, farm equipment management, supply chain problems management, risk analysis, and weight gain in animals, among others.

To effectively respond to these challenges, it is essential to participate in solid partnerships involving government, academia, and productive sector. These strengthened and expanded relationships will allow the insertion and expansion of digital technologies in agriculture, in a transversal way, as enablers of high-impact results, and will imprint the concept of digital agriculture to the most different areas in the agricultural sector.

This Special Issue is focused on showcasing original research on big data analytics in agriculture. We welcome submission of research and review articles as well as short communications. Contributions could include, but are not limited to:

  • Strategic decision making;
  • Classification and forecast of plant diseases;
  • Identification and tracking of objects in agriculture;
  • Energy–water–food nexus;
  • Low carbon agriculture;
  • Precision livestock farming;
  • Connectivity and internet of things;
  • Alert systems;
  • Intelligent systems in agriculture;
  • Agricultural and environmental modeling and monitoring;
  • Robotics and autonomous systems;
  • Climate risk;
  • Agriculture and climate change;
  • Land use and cover;
  • Geospatial technologies and services;
  • Drone technology for monitoring crops;
  • Bioinformatics and biotechnology in agriculture;
  • Agrochemicals use optimization;
  • Farm equipment management;
  • Supply chain problems management;
  • Yield prediction;
  • Food safety.

Dr. Stanley Robson De Medeiros Oliveira
Dr. Kleber Xavier Sampaio De Souza
Dr. Sônia Ternes
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. AgriEngineering is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • data analytics;
  • agriculture 4.0;
  • artificial intelligence;
  • machine learning;
  • computer vision;
  • unmanned ground vehicles;
  • precision agriculture;
  • wireless sensor networks;
  • agricultural machinery management;
  • simulation and mathematical models;
  • smart farming; decision support system;
  • remote sensing;
  • physical–cybernetic systems;
  • landscape management.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 1501 KiB  
Article
Comparative Evaluation of Color Correction as Image Preprocessing for Olive Identification under Natural Light Using Cell Phones
by David Mojaravscki and Paulo S. Graziano Magalhães
AgriEngineering 2024, 6(1), 155-170; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering6010010 - 16 Jan 2024
Viewed by 692
Abstract
Integrating deep learning for crop monitoring presents opportunities and challenges, particularly in object detection under varying environmental conditions. This study investigates the efficacy of image preprocessing methods for olive identification using mobile cameras under natural light. The research is grounded in the broader [...] Read more.
Integrating deep learning for crop monitoring presents opportunities and challenges, particularly in object detection under varying environmental conditions. This study investigates the efficacy of image preprocessing methods for olive identification using mobile cameras under natural light. The research is grounded in the broader context of enhancing object detection accuracy in variable lighting, which is crucial for practical applications in precision agriculture. The study primarily employs the YOLOv7 object detection model and compares various color correction techniques, including histogram equalization (HE), adaptive histogram equalization (AHE), and color correction using the ColorChecker. Additionally, the research examines the role of data augmentation methods, such as image and bounding box rotation, in conjunction with these preprocessing techniques. The findings reveal that while all preprocessing methods improve detection performance compared to non-processed images, AHE is particularly effective in dealing with natural lighting variability. The study also demonstrates that image rotation augmentation consistently enhances model accuracy across different preprocessing methods. These results contribute significantly to agricultural technology, highlighting the importance of tailored image preprocessing in object detection models. The conclusions drawn from this research offer valuable insights for optimizing deep learning applications in agriculture, particularly in scenarios with inconsistent environmental conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Big Data Analytics in Agriculture)
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14 pages, 3883 KiB  
Article
Improving Coffee Yield Interpolation in the Presence of Outliers Using Multivariate Geostatistics and Satellite Data
by César de Oliveira Ferreira Silva, Celia Regina Grego, Rodrigo Lilla Manzione and Stanley Robson de Medeiros Oliveira
AgriEngineering 2024, 6(1), 81-94; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering6010006 - 10 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 667
Abstract
Precision agriculture for coffee production requires spatial knowledge of crop yield. However, difficulties in implementation lie in low-sampled areas. In addition, the asynchronicity of this crop adds complexity to the modeling. It results in a diversity of phenological stages within a field and [...] Read more.
Precision agriculture for coffee production requires spatial knowledge of crop yield. However, difficulties in implementation lie in low-sampled areas. In addition, the asynchronicity of this crop adds complexity to the modeling. It results in a diversity of phenological stages within a field and also continuous production of coffee over time. Big Data retrieved from remote sensing can be tested to improve spatial modeling. This research proposes to apply the Sentinel-2 vegetation index (NDVI) and the Sentinel-1 dual-polarization C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) dataset as auxiliary variables in the multivariate geostatistical modeling of coffee yield characterized by the presence of outliers and assess improvement. A total of 66 coffee yield points were sampled from a 4 ha area in a quasi-regular grid located in southeastern Brazil. Ordinary kriging (OK) and block cokriging (BCOK) were applied. Overall, coupling coffee yield with the NDVI and/or SAR in BCOK interpolation improved the accuracy of spatial interpolation of coffee yield even in the presence of outliers. Incorporating Big Data for improving the modeling for low-sampled fields requires taking into account the difference in supports between different datasets since this difference can increase uncontrolled uncertainty. In this manner, we will consider, for future research, new tests with other covariates. This research has the potential to support precision agriculture applications as site-specific plant nutrient management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Big Data Analytics in Agriculture)
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17 pages, 13217 KiB  
Article
Delineating Management Zones with Different Yield Potentials in Soybean–Corn and Soybean–Cotton Production Systems
by Eduardo Antonio Speranza, João de Mendonça Naime, Carlos Manoel Pedro Vaz, Júlio Cezar Franchini dos Santos, Ricardo Yassushi Inamasu, Ivani de Oliveira Negrão Lopes, Leonardo Ribeiro Queirós, Ladislau Marcelino Rabelo, Lucio André de Castro Jorge, Sergio das Chagas, Mathias Xavier Schelp and Leonardo Vecchi
AgriEngineering 2023, 5(3), 1481-1497; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering5030092 - 31 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1136
Abstract
The delineation of management zones is one of the ways to enable the spatially differentiated management of plots using precision agriculture tools. Over the years, the spatial variability of data collected from soil and plant sampling started to be replaced by data collected [...] Read more.
The delineation of management zones is one of the ways to enable the spatially differentiated management of plots using precision agriculture tools. Over the years, the spatial variability of data collected from soil and plant sampling started to be replaced by data collected by proximal and orbital sensors. As a result, the variety and volume of data have increased considerably, making it necessary to use advanced computational tools, such as machine learning, for data analysis and decision-making support. This paper presents a methodology used to establish management zones (MZ) in precision agriculture by analyzing data obtained from soil sampling, proximal sensors and orbital sensors, in experiments carried out in four plots featuring soybean–cotton and soybean–corn crops, in Mato Grosso and Paraná states, Brazil. Four procedures were evaluated, using different input data sets for the MZ delineation: (I) soil attributes, including clay content, apparent electrical conductivity or fertility, along with elevation, yield maps and vegetation indices (VIs) captured during the peak crop biomass period; (II) soil attributes in conjunction with VIs demonstrating strong correlations; (III) solely VIs exhibiting robust correlation with soil attributes and yield; (IV) VIs selected via random forests to identify the importance of the variable for estimating yield. The results showed that the VIs derived from satellite images could effectively replace other types of data. For plots where the natural spatial variability can be easily identified, all procedures favor obtaining MZ maps that allow reductions of 40% to 70% in yield variance, justifying their use. On the other hand, in plots with low natural spatial variability and that do not have reliable yield maps, different data sets used as input do not help in obtaining feasible MZ maps. For areas where anthropogenic activities with spatially differentiated treatment are already present, the exclusive use of VIs for the delineation of MZs must be carried out with reservations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Big Data Analytics in Agriculture)
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17 pages, 12547 KiB  
Article
Do Gridded Weather Datasets Provide High-Quality Data for Agroclimatic Research in Citrus Production in Brazil?
by Júlia Boscariol Rasera, Roberto Fray da Silva, Sônia Piedade, Francisco de Assis Alves Mourão Filho, Alexandre Cláudio Botazzo Delbem, Antonio Mauro Saraiva, Paulo Cesar Sentelhas and Patricia Angélica Alves Marques
AgriEngineering 2023, 5(2), 924-940; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering5020057 - 18 May 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1561
Abstract
Agrometeorological models are great tools for predicting yields and improving decision-making. High-quality climatic data are essential for using these models. However, most developing countries have low-quality data with low frequency and spatial coverage. In this case, two main options are available: gathering more [...] Read more.
Agrometeorological models are great tools for predicting yields and improving decision-making. High-quality climatic data are essential for using these models. However, most developing countries have low-quality data with low frequency and spatial coverage. In this case, two main options are available: gathering more data in situ, which is expensive, or using gridded data, obtained from several sources. The main objective here was to evaluate the quality of two gridded climatic databases for filling gaps of real weather stations in the context of developing agrometeorological models. Therefore, a comparative analysis of gridded database and INMET data (precipitation and air temperature) was conducted using an agrometeorological model for sweet orange yield estimation. Both gridded databases had high determination and concordance coefficients for maximum and minimum temperatures. However, higher errors and lower confidence coefficients were observed for precipitation data due to their high dispersion. BR-DWGD indicated more accurate results and correlations in all scenarios evaluated in relation to NasaPower, pointing out that BR-DWGD may be better at filling gaps and providing inputs to simulate attainable yield in the Brazilian citrus belt. Nevertheless, due to the BR-DWGD database’s geographical and temporal limitations, NasaPower is still an alternative in some cases. Additionally, when using NasaPower, it is recommended to use a measured precipitation source to improve prediction quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Big Data Analytics in Agriculture)
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