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Precision Management of Fruit Trees

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A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Fruit Production Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 May 2022) | Viewed by 37704

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Dr. Riccardo Lo Bianco

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Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, Edificio 4, Ingresso H, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Interests: water relations; carbon partitioning; deficit irrigation; fruit quality and production systems of tree crops
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Antonino Pisciotta

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Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences (SAAF), University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 13, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Interests: viticulture; vine; grapevine varieties; orchard systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Luigi Manfrini

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Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences – DISTAL - Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Viale Fanin, 46, 40127 Bologna, Italy
Interests: application of new technologies and precision management techniques; effects of the environment on fruit tree physiology; developing new management strategies to improve orchards’ sustainability, maintaining a high level of quality and yields
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Under a global climate change, plants will be facing increasing abiotic and biotic constraints. We have to expect a rise in average daily temperatures, atmospheric CO₂ concentration, soil salinity in some areas, and water stress by drought or floods. Climate change can significantly alter plant functioning and productivity, affecting crop management sustainability and ultimately the whole food economy. Today’s technological advancements offer an excellent opportunity for the precise management of fruit trees aiming at the highest production quality and efficiency. New generation sensors exist and can be further implemented for the precise management of a number of operations both in the field (irrigation, nutrition, pest control, pruning, harvesting, etc.) and during post-harvest processing.

Further investigations and good knowledge sharing across the areas of horticulture, basic plant physiology, and engineering are required in order to improve fruit tree management by optimizing water, nutrients, and chemical inputs. Precise and automated systems will have to represent the future for a modern and sustainable fruit production. This Special Issue aims to stimulate and collect these kinds of studies, keeping in mind that precision management must represent the basis for an efficient and sustainable fruit production under a changing environment.

Prof. Dr. Riccardo Lo Bianco
Dr. Antonino Pisciotta
Dr. Luigi Manfrini
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. Horticulturae is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2200 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

crop load
deficit irrigation
mineral nutrition
fruit quality
light interception
planting systems
rootstocks
training forms
yield efficiency
water use efficiency

Published Papers (12 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

3 pages, 165 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Precision Management of Fruit Trees

by Riccardo Lo Bianco, Antonino Pisciotta and Luigi Manfrini

Horticulturae 2023, 9(1), 6; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9010006 - 21 Dec 2022

Viewed by 1135

Abstract

The aim of the Special Issue “Precision Management of Fruit Trees” was to collect new insights to support the adoption of advanced, efficient, and sustainable management techniques in the fruit production sector [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Precision Management of Fruit Trees)

Research

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13 pages, 2859 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Late Ripening Apple Production Benefits from High Shading and Water Limitation under Exclusion Netting

by Alexandra Boini, Gianmarco Bortolotti, Giulio Demetrio Perulli, Melissa Venturi, Alessandro Bonora, Luigi Manfrini and Luca Corelli-Grappadelli

Horticulturae 2022, 8(10), 884; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8100884 - 27 Sep 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1481

Abstract

In highly solar irradiated areas, apple production can face challenges due to high evaporative water demands. Shading can be used to lower irrigation requirements and make apple growing more sustainable. In this trial, a white exclusion net (40% shading) integrated with rain protection was compared with a regular anti-hail black net (20% shading), on Rosy Glow apple. Crop physiology, yield and quality parameters were monitored during two consecutive years, under conditions of full and restricted irrigation. Since Et₀ under the two cover systems was different, their respective 100% irrigation replacement was different; both covers also received a restricted irrigation treatment (70% replacement of Et₀). Tree physiology (midday stem water potential, leaf gas exchanges, seasonal fruit growth) was not affected, neither by less light nor by less water. Moreover, marketable yield, fruit color and soluble solid content were improved under the more shaded environment, even when the irrigation volume was limited. These results are encouraging, as an overall 50% of water was saved (ca. 190 mm tree⁻¹ per year), compared to the control irrigation treatment, under a classic anti-hail system (ca. 370 mm tree⁻¹ per year). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Precision Management of Fruit Trees)

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17 pages, 5120 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Fast Regression-Based Approach to Map Water Status of Pomegranate Orchards with Sentinel 2 Data

by Enrico Borgogno-Mondino, Alessandro Farbo, Vittorino Novello and Laura de Palma

Horticulturae 2022, 8(9), 759; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8090759 - 24 Aug 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1420

Abstract

Midday stem water potential (Ψ_stem) is an important parameter for monitoring the water status of pomegranate plants and for addressing irrigation management. However, Ψ_stem ground surveys are time-consuming and difficult to carry out periodically over vast areas. Remote sensing, specifically Copernicus Sentinel 2 data (S2), offers a promising alternative. S2 data are appropriate for Ψ_stem monitoring due to their geometric, temporal and spectral resolutions. To test this hypothesis, two plots were selected within a pomegranate orchard in southern Italy. A pressure chamber was used to collect Ψ_stem measurements on four days in summer 2021. Ground data were compared with the temporally closest S2 images with the aim of testing the effectiveness of remotely sensed imagery in estimating and mapping the Ψ_stem of pomegranate plants. Regression models were applied with a limited number of ground observations. Despite limited ground observations, the results showed the promising capability of spectral indices (NDVI, NDRE and NDWI) and S2 bands in estimating (MAE ≅ 0.10 MPa and NMAE < 10%) Ψ_stem readings. To understand the dimensional relationship between S2 geometric resolution and the orchard pattern, predictive models were tested on both native S2 data and on denoised (unmixed) data, revealing that native data are more effective in predicting Ψ_stem values. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Precision Management of Fruit Trees)

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15 pages, 7092 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Fruit Colour Development Index (CDI) to Support Harvest Time Decisions in Peach and Nectarine Orchards

by Alessio Scalisi, Mark G. O’Connell, Muhammad S. Islam and Ian Goodwin

Horticulturae 2022, 8(5), 459; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8050459 - 19 May 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3748

Abstract

Fruit skin colour is one of the most important visual fruit quality parameters driving consumer preferences. Proximal sensors such as machine vision cameras can be used to detect skin colour in fruit visible in collected images, but their accuracy in variable orchard light conditions remains a practical challenge. This work aimed to derive a new fruit skin colour attribute—namely a Colour Development Index (CDI), ranging from 0 to 1, that intuitively increases as fruit becomes redder—to assess colour development in peach and nectarine fruit skin. CDI measurements were generated from high-resolution images collected on both east and west sides of the canopies of three peach and one nectarine cultivars using the commercial mobile platform Cartographer (Green Atlas). Fruit colour (RGB values) was extracted from the central pixels of detected fruit and converted into a CDI. The repeatability of CDI measurements under different light environments was tested by scanning orchards at different times of the day. The effects of cultivar and canopy side on CDI were also determined. CDI data was related to the index of absorbance difference (I_AD)—an index of chlorophyll degradation that was correlated with ethylene emission—and its response to time from harvest was modelled. The CDI was only significantly altered when measurements were taken in the middle of the morning or in the middle of the afternoon, when the presence of the sun in the image caused significant alteration of the image brightness. The CDI was tightly related to I_AD, and CDI values plateaued (0.833 ± 0.009) at I_AD ≤ 1.20 (climacteric onset) in ‘Majestic Pearl’ nectarine, suggesting that CDI thresholds show potential to be used for harvest time decisions and to support logistics. In order to obtain comparable CDI datasets to study colour development or forecast harvest time, it is recommended to scan peach and nectarine orchards at night, in the early morning, solar noon, or late afternoon. This study found that the CDI can serve as a standardised and objective skin colour index for peaches and nectarines. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Precision Management of Fruit Trees)

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12 pages, 1636 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Metabolic Response of Malus domestica Borkh cv. Rubin Apple to Canopy Training Treatments in Intensive Orchards

by Vaida Sirgedaitė-Šėžienė, Kristina Laužikė, Nobertas Uselis and Giedrė Samuolienė

Horticulturae 2022, 8(4), 300; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8040300 - 31 Mar 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1520

Abstract

In this study, we used apple tree (Malus domestica Borkh.) cv. Rubin grafts on dwarfing P60 rootstock. Our planting scheme was single rows with 1.25 m between trees and 3.5 m between rows. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of canopy training treatments, as a stress factor, on metabolic response to obtain key information on how to improve physiological behavior and the management of the growth and development of apple trees. The results indicated that all applied canopy training treatments significantly increased the total phenol and total starch contents in apple tree leaves. The total starch increased from 1.5- to almost 3-fold in all treatments, especially during the 2017 harvesting season, compared to the control. The fructose, sorbitol, and ratio of chlorophyll a to b in leaves also significantly increased. Higher precipitation levels induced changes in the accumulation of secondary metabolites in apple tree leaves and fruits during the 2017 harvesting season. The total phenol content significantly increased in apple tree leaves in all treatments, but the fructose content decreased. We observed the same tendencies in total phenolic content and glucose concentration in apple fruits. Therefore, the defense reaction might be a preferred option for apple tree cultivation and the optimization of its growth and development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Precision Management of Fruit Trees)

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10 pages, 1700 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Fruiting, Morphology, and Architecture of ‘Arbequina’ and ‘Calatina’ Olive Branches

by Alessandro Carella, Roberto Massenti, Giuseppe Milazzo, Tiziano Caruso and Riccardo Lo Bianco

Horticulturae 2022, 8(2), 109; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8020109 - 26 Jan 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3069

Abstract

Two different olive cultivars grown under a high-density hedgerow system were studied to compare their fruiting and branch architecture features and to determine the possibility to use ‘Calatina’ olive trees for intensive plantings, as a local alternative to the international reference ‘Arbequina’. Weights of two-year-old branches, fruits and leaves were recorded to estimate the growth partitioning. Growth and architectural parameters, such as shoot length, vector and diameter, branching angle, branch total length, height, width, area, and branching frequency, were determined by digital image analysis. Digital images of the fruits were also used to estimate fruit maturation by peel color analysis. Whole branch and fruit crop weights were similar in the ‘Arbequina’ and ‘Calatina’, while the latter had a greater fruit/leaf ratio, showing a higher production efficiency than ‘Arbequina’. Fruits were fewer but bigger in ‘Calatina’ than in ‘Arbequina’, suggesting an advantage for both trunk-shaking and straddle machine harvesting in the Sicilian cultivar. Leaf/wood ratio, branching frequency and branching angle were similar in the two cultivars. ‘Calatina’ shoots exhibited a greater bending degree than those of ‘Arbequina’ and this trait particularly favors straddle harvesting. In addition to many similarities between the two cultivars, the present study indicates that ‘Calatina’ is more efficient in terms of yield and harvesting than ‘Arbequina’. This qualifies ‘Calatina’ as a superior, yield-efficient olive cultivar suitable for intensive hedgerow plantings to be harvested with straddle or side-by-side trunk shaker machines. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Precision Management of Fruit Trees)

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16 pages, 3447 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Estimation of Vegetative Growth in Strawberry Plants Using Mobile LiDAR Laser Scanner

by Kowshik Kumar Saha, Nikos Tsoulias, Cornelia Weltzien and Manuela Zude-Sasse

Horticulturae 2022, 8(2), 90; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8020090 - 19 Jan 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3834

Abstract

Monitoring of plant vegetative growth can provide the basis for precise crop management. In this study, a 2D light detection and ranging (LiDAR) laser scanner, mounted on a linear conveyor, was used to acquire multi-temporal three-dimensional (3D) data from strawberry plants (‘Honeoye’ and ‘Malling Centenary’) 14–77 days after planting (DAP). Canopy geometrical variables, i.e., points per plant, height, ground projected area, and canopy volume profile, were extracted from 3D point cloud. The manually measured leaf area exhibited a linear relationship with LiDAR-derived parameters (R² = 0.98, 0.90, 0.93, and 0.96 with number of points per plant, volume, height, and projected canopy area, respectively). However, the measuring uncertainty was high in the dense canopies. Particularly, the canopy volume estimation was adapted to the plant habitus to remove gaps and empty spaces in the canopy point cloud. The parametric values for maximum point to point distance (D_max) = 0.15 cm and slice height (S) = 0.10 cm resulted in R² = 0.80 and RMSPE = 26.93% for strawberry plant volume estimation considering actual volume measured by water displacement. The vertical volume profiling provided growth data for cultivars ‘Honeoye’ and ‘Malling Centenary’ being 51.36 cm³ at 77 DAP and 42.18 cm³ at 70 DAP, respectively. The results contribute an approach for estimating plant geometrical features and particularly strawberry canopy volume profile based on LiDAR point cloud for tracking plant growth. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Precision Management of Fruit Trees)

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17 pages, 1903 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Light Quality Environment and Photomorphological Responses of Young Olive Trees

by Federico J. Ladux, Eduardo R. Trentacoste, Peter S. Searles and M. Cecilia Rousseaux

Horticulturae 2021, 7(10), 369; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7100369 - 06 Oct 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2603

Abstract

Tree densities have increased greatly in olive orchards over the last few decades. In many annual crop species, increased density reduces the horizontal red/far-red (R/FR) and blue/green (B/G) ratios during canopy development even before direct shading occurs, and such changes are known to alter plant morphology. This study with olive trees evaluated: (1) whether the leaf area index (LAI) of neighboring trees modifies the light quality environment prior to a tree being directly shaded and (2) the potential morphological responses of three olive cultivars to changes in light quality. Increasing LAI using different spatial arrangements of potted, three-year-old trees reduced the horizontal R/FR ratio more than that of the B/G ratio. Cultivar-specific responses to low R/FR ratio were observed for individual leaf area and aboveground/belowground biomass ratio using laterally positioned FR mirrors or green fences. No statistically significant responses were detected in response to green vegetation fences that reduced both horizontal R/FR and B/G ratios, but a cluster analysis grouped together the overall morphological responses to both FR mirrors and green fences. These results in olive trees suggest that cultivar differences in response to light quality may be relevant for understanding adaptation to dense orchards and identifying cultivars best suited to them. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Precision Management of Fruit Trees)

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16 pages, 3420 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperEditor’s ChoiceArticle

High-Resolution UAV Imagery for Field Olive (Olea europaea L.) Phenotyping

by Giovanni Caruso, Giacomo Palai, Francesco Paolo Marra and Tiziano Caruso

Horticulturae 2021, 7(8), 258; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7080258 - 21 Aug 2021

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2524

Abstract

Remote sensing techniques based on images acquired from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) could represent an effective tool to speed up the data acquisition process in phenotyping trials and, consequently, to reduce the time and cost of the field work. In this study, we assessed the ability of a UAV equipped with RGB-NIR cameras in highlighting differences in geometrical and spectral canopy characteristics between eight olive cultivars planted at different planting distances in a hedgerow olive orchard. The relationships between measured and estimated canopy height, projected canopy area and canopy volume were linear regardless of the different cultivars and planting distances (RMSE of 0.12 m, 0.44 m² and 0.68 m³, respectively). A good relationship (R² = 0.95) was found between the pruning mass material weighted on the ground and its volume estimated by aerial images. NDVI measured in February 2019 was related to fruit yield per tree measured in November 2018, whereas no relationships were observed with the fruit yield measured in November 2019 due to abiotic and biotic stresses that occurred before harvest. These results confirm the reliability of UAV imagery and structure from motion techniques in estimating the olive geometrical canopy characteristics and suggest further potential applications of UAVs in early discrimination of yield efficiency between different cultivars and in estimating the pruning material volume. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Precision Management of Fruit Trees)

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17 pages, 1695 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Reliability of a Handheld Bluetooth Colourimeter and Its Application to Measuring the Effects of Time from Harvest, Row Orientation and Training System on Nectarine Skin Colour

by Alessio Scalisi, Mark G. O’Connell, Daniele Pelliccia, Tim Plozza, Christine Frisina, Subhash Chandra and Ian Goodwin

Horticulturae 2021, 7(8), 255; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7080255 - 19 Aug 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2331

Abstract

This work aimed to (i) determine the reliability of a portable Bluetooth colourimeter for fruit colour measurements; (ii) characterise the changes in quantitative skin colour attributes in a nectarine cultivar in response to time from harvest; and (iii) determine the influence of row orientation and training system on nectarine skin colour. The skin colour attributes measured with the colourimeter, namely L*, a* and b*, were calibrated and validated against a reference spectrophotometer. C* and h° were obtained from a* and b*. Skin colour was measured in situ from 42 days before to 6 days after harvest on ‘Majestic Pearl’ nectarines subjected to different row orientations and training systems. Validation models showed high reliability of colour estimations. The trends of colour attributes over time were characterised by cubic regression models, with h° proving to be the best parameter to describe changes of colour over time, with a clear link to the maturation process. No significant effects of row orientation and training system on skin colour were observed at harvest. Overall, the device proved reliable for fruit colour detection. Results of this study highlight the potential of h° as a quantitative index to monitor ripening prior to harvest in ‘Majestic Pearl’ nectarines. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Precision Management of Fruit Trees)

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Review

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26 pages, 3649 KiB

Open AccessReview

Table-Grape Cultivation in Soil-Less Systems: A Review

by Antonino Pisciotta, Ettore Barone and Rosario Di Lorenzo

Horticulturae 2022, 8(6), 553; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8060553 - 19 Jun 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 6302

Abstract

Table grape (Vitis vinifera L.) is considered to be one of the most popular fruit crops in the world. Italy is the leading table-grape producer in the EU and is the main European exporting country. However, to stay competitive, new solutions and perspectives, including varietal renovation, are now needed in addition to the already well-established Italian table-grape production lines consisting of conventional open-field cultivation and greenhouse cultivation. One of these new perspectives is represented by the development of table-grape soil-less cultivation systems (TGSC) under greenhouse. In fact, TGSC systems are alleged to offer many advantages in terms of the advancement of berry maturity, extreme varietal flexibility, easier manipulation of the vegetative–reproductive cycle, higher yields of high quality extra-seasonal production, higher sustainability for reduced pesticides application, and higher use efficiency of water and fertilizers than conventional (soil-grown) cultivation. They can be also useful for overcoming soil- and rootstock-related problems. In this review, the opportunities offered by the recently developed table-grape soil-less cultivation systems are thoroughly examined and updated to the latest experimental and application findings of the sector’s research activity. A special emphasis is given to the evolution of the applied technical solutions, varietal choice, and environmental conditions for the aims of table-grape soil-less cultivation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Precision Management of Fruit Trees)

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20 pages, 1073 KiB

Open AccessReview

Automatic Pest Monitoring Systems in Apple Production under Changing Climatic Conditions

by Dana Čirjak, Ivana Miklečić, Darija Lemić, Tomislav Kos and Ivana Pajač Živković

Horticulturae 2022, 8(6), 520; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8060520 - 14 Jun 2022

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 6283

Abstract

Apple is one of the most important economic fruit crops in the world. Despite all the strategies of integrated pest management (IPM), insecticides are still frequently used in its cultivation. In addition, pest phenology is extremely influenced by changing climatic conditions. The frequent spread of invasive species, unexpected pest outbreaks, and the development of additional generations are some of the problems posed by climate change. The adopted strategies of IPM therefore need to be changed as do the current monitoring techniques, which are increasingly unreliable and outdated. The need for more sophisticated, accurate, and efficient monitoring techniques is leading to increasing development of automated pest monitoring systems. In this paper, we summarize the automatic methods (image analysis systems, smart traps, sensors, decision support systems, etc.) used to monitor the major pest in apple production (Cydia pomonella L.) and other important apple pests (Leucoptera maifoliella Costa, Grapholita molesta Busck, Halyomorpha halys Stål, and fruit flies—Tephritidae and Drosophilidae) to improve sustainable pest management under frequently changing climatic conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Precision Management of Fruit Trees)

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