Introduction

Technological advances are carving a new era in crop monitoring. In this context, the use of advanced monitoring techniques is revolutionizing agricultural management, giving farmers access to real-time tools and data to optimize production and preserve crop quality.
Agrobit’s solutions include iAgro, the first DSS (Decision Support System) mobile app for smartphones that can provide guidance on how to reduce and optimize phytosanitary treatments and create vigor maps of tree crops simply through their smartphones, providing accurate and objective data that open the door to advanced and sustainable agricultural management.

The app turns the smartphone into a 3D scanner that can generate a digital twin (3D model) of the scanned culture which is then analyzed in-cloud via Proprietary computer vision (CV), augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, in order to obtain the biometric parameters of crops (canopy thickness, height and volume), biophysical parameters of vegetative vigor as LAI (Leaf Area Index), LWA (Leaf Wall Area), TRV (Tree Row Volume) and finally the optimal dose of water and pesticide For that specific area of the field. By repeating the scans at multiple points in the field, the app allows you to generate vigor and prescription maps.

iAgro can be used effectively by farmers, agronomists and agrotechnicians, associations and consortia, agrochemical industries, and assay centers, enabling have up to 50 percent less dispersion of pesticides into the environment, less enrichment in groundwater of residues, less risk to operators and rural communities, and less impact of residues on the food chain. All of this is in line with both the European Green Deal, the Farm-to-Fork strategy and the CAP, whose overarching goals include reducing the risks and impacts of plant protection products on human health, the environment and biodiversity, as well as protecting the users of plant protection products and the affected population.

The app is a fast, inexpensive, scalable tool for doing precision agriculture and generating thematic maps to improve field decisions using objective data. The technology used is specifically designed to disseminate digital farming techniques to the maximum and at low cost among farmers and technicians just by using a widely used device such as the smartphone that becomes an agronomic survey tool, all of which are crucial factors for the spread of precision farming practices in micro-small-medium farms, which are the majority in Europe.

How the iAgro app works

The iAgro app has the following main features:
1. Creation of farm plot master data. Users can draw their plots, indicate the name, crop type (vine, traditional olive, intensive olive, apple, pear, peach, citrus, almond) and row spacing (in case of row crops) or the number of trees in the plot (in case of traditional olive) (Fig. 1). Once created, you will also be able to see the perimeter and area of the plot;

Fig.1: Plot creation and its registry.

2. Creation of elevations within the plot. Once the plot has been created, within the plot it will be possible to create one or more surveys, in which it is possible to enter the phenological stage, the adversity to be combated, the type of sprayer used for treatments, the volume of the sprayer tank, the recommended dose of pesticide from the manufacturer’s label and the unit of measurement of the latter (Fig. 2);

Fig.2: Creation of a relief.

3. Creation of acquisitions. Once the survey has been created, within the survey it will be possible to create one or more acquisitions, which allow a 3D scan of the portion of the row or tree to be analyzed (Fig. 3);

Fig.3: 3D scan in the case of row culture (top) and in the case of isolated trees (bottom).

4. Biometric and biophysical parameters of the culture. After scanning and uploading the photos to the cloud, you will be able to see the results after a few minutes. In particular:

• The height, thickness and volume of the canopy
• the LAI (Leaf Area Index) vigor index.
• the LWA (Leaf Wall Area) vigor index.
• the TRV (Tree Row Volume) vigor index.
• The optimal dose of water for phytosanitary treatments for each area of the field and at each phenological stage

This data can be viewed and exported in tabular format directly from within the app (Fig. 4);

Fig.4: Visualization and export of 3D scan results.

5. Generation of the digital twin of your crop. In addition to the results in the previous point, it is also possible to view the 3D model of the scanned portion of the row or tree (Fig. 5);

Fig.5: 3D models (digital twin) in the case of row crop (left) and in the case of isolated trees (right).

6. Vegetative vigor maps and prescription maps for optimized phytosanitary treatments. Repeating scans at a sufficient and well-distributed number of points in the plot (minimum 5) maps of vegetative vigor (LAI index) will be automatically generated for site-specific optimization of fertilization, irrigation and fruit harvesting. At the same time, a map is also created of 3-zone prescription for variable and optimized phytosanitary treatments based on the actual needs of your crops. Both maps can be exported in raster (.tiff), vector (.shp) and image (.jpeg) formats (Fig. 6);

Fig.6: Visualization and export of vigor map (LAI) and prescription for plant protection treatments.

7. Create the history of your plot. By conducting multiple surveys over time within the same plot, it is possible to create a time history of the same plot and to historicize data and maps. This is useful for making better agronomic decisions and comparing seasons with each other, as well as the ability to traceably communicate all information to certifying bodies or public administrations (Fig. 7);

Fig.7: Plot history in terms of vegetative vigor.

Conclusions
Crop management through pesticides and fertilizers has a significant impact in a farm’s economic and environmental balance sheet. It turns out to be important
Implement the rationalization of agricultural practices
that characterize crop management through tools to decrease their environmental impact, making the farm
more sustainable and competitive in the market and in line with new regulations.

Through iAgro, Agrobit is committed to providing a simple and cost-effective tool to optimize plant protection treatments and create vigor maps to improve fertilization and harvesting, paving the way for more efficient and environmentally sustainable agricultural management. The use of vigor and prescription maps offers farmers the ability to adopt a more focused approach, contributing significantly to improving the quality of the final product and reducing wasted resources.

Not only is this tool affordable in terms of cost, but it is a strategic investment for farmers who wish to consolidate an up-to-date farm identity and distinguish themselves distinctively in the marketplace.
Combining the use of iAgro with targeted farming practices results in a twofold benefit: improving farm profitability and contributing to more sustainable agricultural management in the long run.

For more information on how the app works, you can consult

the dedicated section

on the website or watch the video tutorial.