Version 1
: Received: 2 December 2021 / Approved: 6 December 2021 / Online: 6 December 2021 (15:19:50 CET)
How to cite:
Sharma, M. Computational Analysis of Specific Indicators to Manage Crop Yield and Profits Under Extreme Heat and Climate Change Conditions. Preprints2021, 2021120081. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202112.0081.v1
Sharma, M. Computational Analysis of Specific Indicators to Manage Crop Yield and Profits Under Extreme Heat and Climate Change Conditions. Preprints 2021, 2021120081. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202112.0081.v1
Sharma, M. Computational Analysis of Specific Indicators to Manage Crop Yield and Profits Under Extreme Heat and Climate Change Conditions. Preprints2021, 2021120081. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202112.0081.v1
APA Style
Sharma, M. (2021). Computational Analysis of Specific Indicators to Manage Crop Yield and Profits Under Extreme Heat and Climate Change Conditions. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202112.0081.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Sharma, M. 2021 "Computational Analysis of Specific Indicators to Manage Crop Yield and Profits Under Extreme Heat and Climate Change Conditions" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202112.0081.v1
Abstract
The US pacific northwest recorded its highest temperature in late June 2021. The three-day stretch of scorching heat had a devastating effect on not only the residents of the state, but also on the crops thus impacting the food supply-chain. It is forecasted that streaks of 100-degree temperatures will become common. Farmers will have to adapt to the changing landscape to preserve their crop yield and profitability. A research collaborative consisting of researchers and academicians in Eastern Washington led by a pioneering startup has setup a 16.9-acre Honeycrisp Apple Smart Orchard in Grandview, WA as a laboratory to study the environmental and plant growth factors in real-time using modern computational tools and techniques like IoT (Internet of Things), Edge and Cloud Computing, and Drone and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) imaging. The computational analysis is used to develop guidelines for precision agriculture for orchard blocks to address plant growth issues scientifically and in a timely fashion. The analysis also helps in creating risk-mitigation strategies for severe weather events while helping prepare farmers to maximize crop yield and profitability per acre. I was fortunate to gain access to the terabytes of farm data related to the weather, soil, water, tree, and canopy health, to analyze and formulate recommendations for the farmers that can be adopted nationwide for different crops and weather conditions. This paper discusses the different streams of farm data that were analyzed (ex. soil moisture, soil water potential, and sap flow) and the development of the framework to use data to convert insights into actionable steps. For example, the use of sensors can inform a farmer that their level of soil water potential is below threshold in a specific patch of the orchard, prompting them to turn on irrigation for the patch instead of the whole orchard. I estimate that using an IoT-sensor-based decision framework discussed in this paper, growers can save up to 55% of their water costs for the season. Using these insights, farmers can better manage their irrigation resources and labor, thus maximizing their crop yield and profits.
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
