Delineation of management zones in an apple orchard in Greece using a multivariate approach

Highlights? High spatial variability of soil, yield and quality in apples. ? High temporal variability over the 3years of the experiment. ? Management zones created using multivariate geostatistics. Management zone (MZ) delineation is important for the application of Precision Agriculture because farm management decisions are based on it. Several factors were used for the MZ delineation including crop and soil characteristics. In the present paper multivariate analysis was applied to delineate MZs. Soil and crop data, collected over 3years from a Precision Agriculture project in an apple orchard in Greece, were used. The collected data were categorized in three groups, namely soil properties, yield and fruit quality. All data were analyzed for descriptive statistics and their distribution. Maps of the spatial variability for the 3years were presented. Data were jointly analyzed for management zone delineation using a combination of multivariate geostatistics with a non-parametric clustering approach, and the orchard was divided in four zones which could be differently managed. However, further research and experimentation are needed before precision horticulture being confidently adopted in Greece.

[1]  Julius T. Tou,et al.  Pattern Recognition Principles , 1974 .

[2]  Shmulik P. Friedman,et al.  Soil properties influencing apparent electrical conductivity: a review , 2005 .

[3]  E. O. Mclean.  Soil pH and Lime Requirement , 1982 .

[4]  G. Buttafuoco,et al.  Estimating within‐field variation using a nonparametric density algorithm , 2006 .

[5]  R. Bramley,et al.  Understanding variability in winegrape production systems 2. Within vineyard variation in quality over several vintages , 2005 .

[6]  David Lamb,et al.  PA—Precision Agriculture: Remote-Sensing and Mapping of Weeds in Crops , 2001 .

[7]  Peter A. Burrough,et al.  Fuzzy mathematical methods for soil survey and land evaluation , 1989 .

[8]  A. B. McBratney,et al.  The “Null Hypothesis” of Precision Agriculture Management , 2000, Precision Agriculture.

[9]  T. A. Gemtos,et al.  Soil spatial variability and site-specific fertilization maps in an apple orchard , 2011, Precision Agriculture.

[10]  I. Ohlsson.  Book reviewSite-specific management for agricultural systems: P.C. Robert, R.H. Rust and W.E. Larson (Editors). American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Madison, WI, 1995. ISBN 0-89118-127-X, Paperback, 993 pp., US$ 39 , 1996 .

[11]  R. Murray Lark,et al.  Using Yield Maps to Regionalize Fields into Potential Management Units , 1999 .

[12]  J. V. Stafford,et al.  Practical applications of soil electrical conductivity mapping. , 1999 .

[13]  R. Lark,et al.  Classification as a first step in the interpretation of temporal and spatial variation of crop yield , 1997 .

[14]  A. Castrignanò,et al.  Study of spatial relationships among some soil physico-chemical properties of a field in central Italy using multivariate geostatistics , 2000 .

[15]  Kenneth A. Sudduth,et al.  Soil Electrical Conductivity as a Crop Productivity Measure for Claypan Soils , 1999 .

[16]  D. F. Heermann,et al.  Frequency Analysis of Yield for Delineating Yield Response Zones , 2004, Precision Agriculture.

[17]  Clyde W. Fraisse,et al.  Delineation of Site-Specific Management Zones by Unsupervised Classification of Topographic Attributes and Soil Electrical Conductivity , 2001 .

[18]  Timothy C. Coburn,et al.  Geostatistics for Natural Resources Evaluation , 2000, Technometrics.

[19]  Kenneth A. Sudduth,et al.  Delineating productivity zones on claypan soil fields using apparent soil electrical conductivity , 2005 .

[20]  Clyde W. Fraisse,et al.  CALIBRATION OF THE CERES–MAIZE MODEL FOR SIMULATING SITE–SPECIFIC CROP DEVELOPMENT AND YIELD ON CLAYPAN SOILS , 2001 .

[21]  R. M. Lark,et al.  Forming Spatially Coherent Regions by Classification of Multi-Variate Data: An Example from the Analysis of Maps of Crop Yield , 1998, Int. J. Geogr. Inf. Sci..

[22]  Francesco Morari,et al.  Application of multivariate geostatistics in delineating management zones within a gravelly vineyard using geo-electrical sensors , 2009 .

[23]  R. Bramley,et al.  Understanding variability in winegrape production systems , 2004 .

[24]  T. A. Gemtos,et al.  Spatial variation in yield and quality in a small apple orchard , 2010, Precision Agriculture.

[25]  S. Fountas,et al.  Site-specific management in an olive tree plantation , 2011, Precision Agriculture.

[26]  Stephen J. Ventura,et al.  Fuzzy and isodata classification of landform elements from digital terrain data in Pleasant Valley, Wisconsin , 1997 .

[27]  Viacheslav I. Adamchuk,et al.  Classification of Crop Yield Variability in Irrigated Production Fields , 2003 .

[28]  A. W. Schumann,et al.  Delineating productivity zones in a citrus grove using citrus production, tree growth and temporally stable soil data , 2011, Precision Agriculture.

[29]  Hans Wackernagel,et al.  Multivariate Geostatistics: An Introduction with Applications , 1996 .

[30]  J. De Baerdemaeker,et al.  Management zones based on correlation between soil compaction, yield and crop data , 2005 .

[31]  D. Westfall,et al.  Evaluating Farmer Defined Management Zone Maps for Variable Rate Fertilizer Application , 2000, Precision Agriculture.

[32]  D. Long,et al.  Quality of Field Management Maps , 2015 .

[33]  D. W. Nelson,et al.  Total Carbon, Organic Carbon, and Organic Matter 1 , 1982 .

[34]  David A. Mortensen,et al.  Site-Specific Management Zones Based on Soil Electrical Conductivity in a Semiarid Cropping System , 2003 .

[35]  Kenneth A. Sudduth,et al.  Soil electrical conductivity and topography related to yield for three contrasting soil-crop systems , 2003 .

[36]  R. A. MacMillan,et al.  A Landform Segmentation Model for Precision Farming , 2015 .

[37]  Kenneth A. Sudduth,et al.  Analysis of Spatial Factors Influencing Crop Yield , 2015 .

[38]  S. Blackmore,et al.  The Analysis of Spatial and Temporal Trends in Yield Map Data over Six Years , 2003 .

[39]  A. Castrignanò,et al.  A comparison of different algorithms for the delineation of management zones , 2010, Precision Agriculture.

[40]  Francisca López-Granados,et al.  Leaf nutrient spatial variability and site-specific fertilization maps within olive (Olea europaea L.) orchards , 2004 .

[41]  D. W. Scott,et al.  Multivariate Density Estimation, Theory, Practice and Visualization , 1992 .

[42]  D. W. Nelson,et al.  Total Carbon, Organic Carbon, and Organic Matter , 1983, SSSA Book Series.

[43]  Arnold W. Schumann,et al.  Nutrient Management Zones for Citrus Based on Variation in Soil Properties and Tree Performance , 2006, Precision Agriculture.

[44]  Achim Dobermann,et al.  Creating Spatially Contiguous Yield Classes for Site‐Specific Management , 2003 .