1. The relations between food intake, reticulo-ruminal motility and abomasal digesta outflow were investigated in ewes receiving lucerne (Medicago sativa) v. orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata) hay. Abomasal digesta outflow was recorded continuously by means of an electromagnetic flowmeter probe inserted into a duodenal T-shape cannula and the motility using strain-gauge force transducers. Volum...

This study was conducted to develop a software program which computes optimal path for autonomous navigation in orchard, especially for speed sprayer. Possibilities of autonomous navigation in orchard were shown by other researches which have minimized distance error between planned path and performed path. But, research of planning an optimal path for speed sprayer in orchard is hardly founded...

Autonomous operation and information processing in an orchard environment requires an accurate inventory of the trees. Individual trees must be identified and catalogued in order to represent their distinct measures such as yield count, crop health and canopy volume. Hand labelling individual trees is a labour-intensive and time-consuming process. This paper presents a trunk localisation pipeli...

Various plants and resources such as orchards are vulnerable to the detrimental effects of successful invasions by alien animal or plant species. To outline an appropriate policy response, we first use renewal theory to construct a stochastic model of optimal orchard management in the presence of a deleterious alien species. Next, we derive the orchard manager’s long run expected cost of orchar...

In this paper we present an approach to tree recognition and localisation in orchard environments for tree-crop applications. The method builds on the natural structure of the orchard by first segmenting the data into individual trees using a Hidden Semi-Markov Model. Second, a descriptor for representing the characteristics of the trees is introduced, allowing a Hidden Markov Model based match...

Both the Vogel Spindle and Spanish Bush systems will allow for the development of a “pedestrian orchard”. A pedestrian orchard is defined as an orchard where two-thirds of the crop can be harvested from the ground, without the use of tall ladders (Fig. 1). Harvesting fruit from the ground greatly enhances worker productivity. In a study that I conducted in The Dalles, Oregon pickers were able t...

The precise management of orchards cannot do without the support of various orchard field data, and the orchard field data server is an effective solution thereto. The orchard field data server consists of data acquisition unit, data communication unit, data analysis unit and such diversified server sockets of user terminal as supportive personal computer (PC), notebook computer, mobile phone a...

Moth species trapped using the sex pheromone of Stenoma catenifer (LaSalle) as a lure, were registered at 2 commercial avocado orchards (one consisting of “Hass” and other of “Criollo”) and in wild “Criollo” avocado trees in southern Mexico. Traps were maintained for 1 mo in two seasons (dry and wet) on avocado trees under these 3 production conditions, changing the baits each season. Weekly ob...

Soil application of DBCP (l,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane) and foliar applications of oxamyl (methyl N',N'-dimethyl-N-[(methylcarbamoyl)oxy]-l-thiooxamimidate) were compared for control of Tylenchulus semipenetrans in a grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) orchard, DBCP reduced nematode populations and increased fruit growth rate, fruit size at harvest, and yield compared to the untreated controls in the 2...

Soil aggregate stability is an important indicator for controlling soil losses and can improve soil quality, particularly in an area such as the Loess Plateau. The objective of this study was to estimate the differences in soil aggregates across six different land-use systems (grassland, apple orchard, abandoned apple orchard, cropland maize, cropland wheat, and shrub-grassland). For this purpo...