ПРАКТИЧЕСКОЕ ПРИМЕНЕНИЕ ИНФОРМАЦИОННО-КОММУНИКАЦИОННЫХ ТЕХНОЛОГИЙ В АГРОТЕХНИЧЕСКОЙ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ - ИССЛЕДОВАНИЕ СИСТЕМ ДОЖДЕВАНИЯ

УДК 631.9

ПРАКТИЧЕСКОЕ ПРИМЕНЕНИЕ ИНФОРМАЦИОННО-КОММУНИКАЦИОННЫХ ТЕХНОЛОГИЙ В АГРОТЕХНИЧЕСКОЙ ДЕЯТЕЛЬНОСТИ - ИССЛЕДОВАНИЕ СИСТЕМ ДОЖДЕВАНИЯ

Матулевски Марек

доктор наук,

Высшая школа логистики, Познань, Польша

E-mail: marek.matulewski@wsl.com.pl

REAL-LIFE APPLICATION OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES (ICT) IN AGROTECHNICAL ACTIVITIES – A CASE STUDY OF SPRINKLING SYSTEMS

Marek Matulewski

PHD,

PoznaD School of Logistics, PoznaD, Роland

         Целью данной работы является дать характеристику и проанализировать все виды деятельности, связанной с сельским хозяйством информационного века. В статье говорится об анализе процессов ирригации  зерновых культур с использованием информационно-коммуникационных технологий. В работе использованы следующие методы исследования: анализ источников и практическое наблюдение информационно-коммуникационных технологий, использованных при дождевании. В результате научных исследований, проведенных в Польше, автор заостряет внимание на необходимости проведения дальнейших исследований в этой важной области и предлагает основные направления.

         Ключевые слова:    информационно-коммуникационные технологии, точная агротехника, дождевание, агрологистика

         The aim of the paper is to characterize and analyze all sorts of activities connected with irrigation of plants in precision agriculture in the information age. The paper deals with the analysis of the irrigation process of crops with the usage of ICT technology. The research methods included the analysis of pertinent literature and empirical observation of some ICT solutions applied in the course of sprinkling. As a result of scientific research carried out in Poland, the author stresses the need to carry out further research in this respect and formulates possible research directions.

         Key words:    ICT (Information and Communications Technology), precision agriculture, sprinkling irrigation, agrilogistics

Introduction

The paper touches upon the usage of the state-of-the-art Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in precision agriculture. Precision agriculture shall be understood as “electronic monitoring and control applied to data collection, information processing and decision support for the temporal and spatial allocation of inputs for crop production” [1, 361].

Due to the scope of the paper the research has been limited to only one agrilogistic activity namely irrigation. Irrigation is of utmost importance in numerous farmland activities. Irrigation is understood as delivering water to soil under controlled conditions in order to create optimal photosynthesis. Of course there are numerous methods of performing that activity. One of the most efficient methods of irrigation is sprinkling. It is a method which enables to dose optimal amounts of water and if need be also other necessary plant nutrients [2, 56].

The method requires the usage of specialised equipment which facilitates effective sprinkling. The sprinkler type must be properly selected for its purpose, and its parameters depend on the size of the area which is to be watered (gardens, parks, greenhouses, tree nurseries, orchards, farmlands, etc.

ICT enhanced sprinkling process in precision agrilogistics

Sprinkling is a very important irrigation activity due to the fact that the majority of farmlands in Poland are featured by a negative water balance [3,47-50]. The effects of such state of affairs are not instantaneous. The effects increase gradually, slowly but steadily and the direct and indirect consequences are visible over a span of time (among others the decrease in the number of crops, the soils turn into steppes, etc.).

A classical system for sprinkling is composed of the following component parts:

·         water intake,

·         pump system,

·         transmission line,

·         water sprinkler.

However, the most interesting element of the sprinkling system is the ICT system supervising the whole process and all component parts of the machinery. One should realize that the access to information systems such as GIS (Geographic Information System or its component called Land Information System – LIS) is necessary even at the stage of designing the sprinkling system. Thanks to such systems one may access some set of information starting with geological ones and ending with complex hydrological models for given areas [4, 7-13]. Consequently, the user may on the one hand adjust the type of crops to geological and hydrological conditions, and on the other hand adjust the parameters of sprinkling. It should be enhanced here that the data obtained from various information banks should be supplemented with up-to-date data obtained from a given area where sprinkling systems are to be applied. In other words, the ICT system should be supplemented on-line with data gathered directly on site (e.g. from soil moisture sensors or devices for measuring nitrogen levels in plant tissues).

Furthermore, the operation of the sprinkling system may be supervised in a wide scope by ICT. The most simple system is based on soil moisture sensors installed on spot, automatic gauge systems and a central unit (a computer) supervising all operations connected with the sprinkling system. More advanced versions enable to supervise the system from a distance (thanks to GSM), positioning the device from a distance (with high accuracy thanks to GPS or GLONASS – accuracy up to 1 cm) [5] or measuring nitrogen levels in plant tissues (laser measurements) and consequently adjusting the dosage of fertilizers to real environment conditions. 

The effective application of solutions described above provides measurable effects. In accordance with the results of research carried out from 1993 to 1996 the usage of sprinkling systems on the one hand affects the crops as far as their quantity and on the other hand quality are concerned. Thus, it also affects the quality of seeds obtained for future sowing. The crops of winter wheat, spring barley and peas increased gradually as a result of continuous usage of sprinkling systems by 11.3% for winter wheat, 10.8% for spring barley and by as much as 27.5% for peas respectively [6, 38-42]. Similar results were obtained in the region of southern Pomerania-Szczecin for malt barley and fodder barley. Properly sprinkled malt barley yielded 21% better in comparison with not sprinkled barley in the same region. As far as fodder barley is concerned the results were even better as it yielded 23% more. It should be stressed that such increase was obtained irrespective of the type of barley as well as the method of fertilization [7, 133]. Similar results were obtained in tree nurseries. The research carried out from 2003 till 2004 in selected areas of the Bydgoszcz Forest Inspectorate (BiaBe BBota) revealed that the annual growth of trees was higher and amounted to the maximum of  32.6 % [8, 373].

The obtained results are even better in the event two agrotechnical activities are combined that is to say the fertilization and sprinkling. The results obtained in the region of Pomerania-Szczecin show that the yield of malt barley increased on average by 115 % (depending on its variety the results varied from 104% for Rudzik variety and 127% for Orlik variety). The results were even better for fodder barley as in that case the crops yielded on average 123 % better depending on the variety (with the increase by 110% for Boss variety and ending with up to 137% for Edgar variety). The measurable advantages obtained as a result of combining sprinkling with fertilization refer not only to quantitative but also qualitative aspects (despite the fact that the author focused on the former ones). Just to mention a few qualitative aspects they refer among others to the following crop features:

·        protein content (increase by about 30%) – especially desirable in fodder barley,

·        increase in the contents of P, K, Ca, Mg, Na in seeds,

·        decrease in the contents of Fe, Zn and nitrates,

·        increase in the grain plumpness, [7,138-140].

Other researchers obtained similar results. In accordance with the results of research carried out by Rakowski (in respect to spring wheat and spring triticale) the contents of chlorophyll in leaves of wheat in the phase of maturing increased by 230 % and in the case of triticale by 94% as a result of sprinkling in comparison with not sprinkled plants. One should remember that the intensity of photosynthesis of plants depends on the contents of the dye and activity of enzymes. Consequently, photosynthesis processes increased visibly in sprinkled plants (the increase amounted to 69 % for wheat and 39 % for triticale). Moreover, the concentration of CO₂ in plant cells decreased (by 9.2 % for wheat and by 21.5 % for triticale). The process is especially important when taking into account the need to assimilate the gas by plants [9, 34-40]. Similar results have also been obtained by Borowczak. He carried out research from 1997 till 2000. He investigated the effect of sprinkling and fertilization on sugar beet. The growth of sugar beet roots increased by 17.1% and in respect to leaves by 13.7% [10, 203-213].

Summing up, it should be stressed that the processes connected with the usage of sprinkling systems are very important when aiming at economizing farmland operations. It is a direct consequence of the fact that farmland activity in Poland requires carrying out additional agrotechnical irrigation activities because of climatic conditions in the territory of Poland. Additionally, the possibility of combining two activities into one (so far sprinkling and fertilization have frequently been carried out separately) additional advantages may be obtained. Moreover, the application of ICT in sprinkling systems enhances the efficiency of the activity and minimizes various threats (especially environmental ones) [11, 24].

Finally, I have not managed to obtain any exhaustive results of research into the ubiquitous character of such solutions in agricultural practice. There are no statistical data providing an unquestionable research basis for the number of farmlands in which ICT-based sprinkler systems either in Poland or in other EU countries are used. Consequently, the research in this respect should be continued to fill in the existing information gap.

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