Showing papers in "Computers and Electronics in Agriculture in 1994"

TL;DR: A new technique for the detection of surface features in apple images by introducing the concept of topographic representation and a comparison with the existing background subtraction method has been made to show the advantages of the new approach.

TL;DR: In this paper, the performance of two-wheel drive and four-wheel-drive/mechanical front wheel-drive (4WD/MFWD) tractors were predicted on agricultural soils for radial tractor tires.

TL;DR: The Global Positioning System (GPS), when used in a high-precision differential mode, can be used to navigate a tractor and implement along a pre-determined path with 1–2 cm level relative precision.

TL;DR: In this paper, the electrical conductivity and water content in a ridge-furrow tilled loamy sand irrigated with a salt solution were measured using time-domain reflectometry (TDR).

TL;DR: In this article, the basic principles of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) are described together with problems that must be taken into account when using this kind of system, and the differences between GPS and the GLONASS system developed in the former Soviet Union are discussed.

TL;DR: A survey conducted among 199 commercial farmers in Natal Province, South Africa, showed that 95 respondents (48%) owned personal computers and were using them as decision-aids in farm management.

TL;DR: In this article, potential economic, social and technical benefits are illustrated with examples related to pig husbandry, and technical improvements as well as complementary non-engineering aspects are suggested for further research.

TL;DR: The method involved building a hybrid decision support system which first interprets the output of a quantitative simulation model and then constructs explanations, which are in turn adapted to the particular user.

TL;DR: In this paper, a prototype expert system (ES) was developed to investigate the potential of ES's for managing seed potato production, which addressed one component of production management, emulation of human expertise in potato disease diagnosis based on various symptoms.

TL;DR: In this article, the requirements for such systems are discussed and it is shown that current commercial systems barely meet the specification, and both static and dynamic trials of different GPS receiver configurations have indicated the problem of reliable position resolution.

TL;DR: In this paper, the concept of spatially variable fertilizer and pesticide application is discussed and commercial applicators are described which use Global Positioning Systems (GPS) or other location technologies to apply fertilizer and pesticides according to predetermined step-oint maps.

TL;DR: In this article, a control philosophy is described for maximising the financial margin between the value of a greenhouse crop and the cost of controlling the greenhouse climate, where physical models are used to predict the influence of the climate on crop production.

TL;DR: The two types of yield measurement systems used, the position detection with the Global Positioning System (GPS) and the data acquisition system, described, and the precision attained are described.

TL;DR: In this paper, SODCOM has been used to analyse the intercropping of maize ( Zea mays ) and beans ( Phaseolus vulgaris ) in the Kitale region of Kenya.

TL;DR: In this article, a simulation model of crop growth, regarded as an aid for crop management and husbandry studies, is presented, which is structured around the physical processes of energy conversion in the crop.

TL;DR: Eighty percent of the 80 participants attending the 1991 Top Farmer Crop Workshop at Purdue University were using computers as discussed by the authors, which is consistent with predictions based on earlier studies for farmers of this age, educational level, and farm size.

TL;DR: This software integration greatly enhances the use of geographically oriented resource data and knowledge accumulated from Forest Service experts to assist in project planning, alternative development and environmental assessment.

TL;DR: In this paper, a PC-based decision support system (DSS) was developed to aid in decision making in management of a chopper harvesting system for sugarcane in Thailand.

TL;DR: This research represents an innovative approach to solving an important problem, that of the calibration of mathematical models, and its usefulness is demonstrated on specific applications which allowed the determination of calibration parameters for a poikilotherm and photosynthesis models.

TL;DR: In this article, a scheduling model is used to draw up a planting plan that can meet expected customer demand and maximise profit for a commercial vegetable production, which is capable of solution on a PC and included in a decision support system.

TL;DR: In this paper, a decision support system (DSS) was developed for optimization of farm machinery systems with the flexibility to incorporate regional variations in crops and cropping practices, farm characteristics, sizes of farm equipment, and costs of the resources and outputs.

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used a data set derived from these studies to construct a model of cotton growth and development, which was validated and incorporated into cotton simulation models that are being used for cotton crop management.

TL;DR: Weed Adviser as discussed by the authors is a rule-based expert system designed to run on IBM micro-computers and compatibles to help extension workers identify and control 47 common weeds and their mixtures.

TL;DR: Software tools for knowledge management examined in this paper are: knowledge-based systems, scientific visualization, virtual reality, spatial data management, computer-supported cooperative work, and hypertext.

TL;DR: In this paper, a model for sugarcane growth is evaluated for rainfed and irrigated production in the dry zone of Sri Lanka using a daily timestep and is based on a crop growth and a soil moisture model.

TL;DR: In this paper, a comprehensive computerized measurement and data acquisition system was developed to collect dynamic data relating to thermal environment profiles, energy use, operational characteristics, and animal performance of four field research broiler houses (12 × 121 m each).

TL;DR: The decision support system provides information and advice to farmers and advisors, can be used as an educational tool and has helped to highlight areas where information about aphid behaviour and biology is missing.

TL;DR: In this paper, three different approaches to define management areas in the field are discussed: land register approach, yield map approach, and detailed soil survey approach based on the geographically detailed knowledge of the topsoil nutrient status for the entire field.