Ground-Based Sensing in Precision Agriculture
(book excerpts)Ground-based or proximal sensing is defined as the use of field sensors to monitor soil parameters and plant status when in contact with or close to it (within a few meters). Ground-based proximal sensors are able to monitor real-time physical and chemical soil parameters, such as moisture, temperature, pH, soil nutrients, and pollutants, providing key information to optimize crop cycle management, combat biotic and abiotic stresses, and improve crop yields. One of the most common uses of such sensing is for irrigation management through the capability of estimating the crop reference evapotranspiration (ETO), i.e., the amount of water lost. Ground-based proximal crop sensors are devices used to gather data about plants in their natural environment, often at close range, to provide information about real-time plant health, such as water status, chlorophyll content, availability of nutrients, and other relevant parameters. These sensors offer a more detailed and accurate view of plant conditions than remote sensing techniques (e.g., satellites, UAVs), which offer a broader, less granular perspective. Among the most common proximal sensors are optical/spectral sensors, which work in the visible/near-infrared band and are used for estimating the nutritional and health status of the plant. Sensors are generally classified as static, which remains stationary in the field, or mobile, which are mounted on vehicles or robots. Mobile sensors allow continuous data acquisition, significantly increasing the degree of information without increasing the farm workload. Another category of ground-based proximal sensors is active and passive. Active sensors emit their own energy to illuminate the target and measure reflected signals, while passive sensors detect naturally occurring energy (like sunlight) reflected from the target.
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Topics Within This Chapter:
- Advantages and Limitations of Ground-Based Sensing
- Advantages of Ground-Based Sensing
- Soil Sensing
- Crop Testing
- Limitations of Ground-Based Sensing
- Soil Sensing
- Crop Testing
- Categorization of Ground-Based Sensors
- Active and Passive Light Sensors
- Stationary Sensors
- Mobile Sensors
- Ground-Based Soil Sensing
- Methods for Ground-Based Soil Sensing
- Ground Penetrating Radar Sensors
- Electromagnetic Induction Sensors
- Electrical Resistivity Sensors
- Gamma-Ray Spectrometry Sensors
- Ion-Selective Potentiometry Sensor
- Spectral Reflectance Sensors
- Mechanical Impedance Sensors
- Time Domain Reflectometry and Frequency Domain Reflectometry Sensors
- Neutron Scattering Sensors
- Tension (Matric Potential) Sensors
- Ground-Based Crop Sensing
- Methods for Ground-Based Crop Sensing
- Spectral Reflectance Sensors
- Chlorophyll Meters
- Fluorescence Sensors
- Thermal Sensors
- Physiological Sensors
