Wenyong Li

Apple Fruit Diameter and Length Estimation by Using the Thermal and Sunshine Hours Approach and Its Application to the Digital Orchard Management Information System

In apple cultivation, simulation models may be used to monitor fruit size during the growth and development process to predict production levels and to optimize fruit quality. Here, Fuji apples cultivated in spindle-type systems were used as the model crop. Apple size was measured during the growing period at an interval of about 20 days after full bloom, with three weather stations being used to collect orchard temperature and solar radiation data at different sites. Furthermore, a 2-year dataset (2011 and 2012) of apple fruit size measurements were integrated according to the weather station deployment sites, in addition to the top two most important environment factors, thermal and sunshine hours, into the model. The apple fruit diameter and length were simulated using physiological development time (PDT), an indicator that combines important environment factors, such as temperature and photoperiod, as the driving variable. Compared to the model of calendar-based development time (CDT), an indicator counting the days that elapse after full bloom, we confirmed that the PDT model improved the estimation accuracy to within 0.2 cm for fruit diameter and 0.1 cm for fruit length in independent years using a similar data collection method in 2013. The PDT model was implemented to realize a web-based management information system for a digital orchard, and the digital system had been applied in Shandong Province, China since 2013. This system may be used to compute the dynamic curve of apple fruit size based on data obtained from a nearby weather station. This system may provide an important decision support for farmers using the website and short message service to optimize crop production and, hence, economic benefit.

Correlation search between growth performance and flock activity in automated assessment of Pekin duck stocking density

Abstract In recent years, duck production has been changed from conventional free range and open water outdoors to confinement in birdhouses. And the concept of animal welfare in high stocking density begins to be accepted in China. The search of the relationship between growth performance and flock activity of Pekin ducks with different stocking densities using camera surveillance has great potential as an aid to improving flock management. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of stocking density on growth performance and activity of Pekin duck flocks. Furthermore, the correlation between growth performance and the activity of White Pekin ducks was investigated. Eventually, it will generate an automatic method for monitoring growth performance and stocking density evaluation of Pekin ducks. All ducks (24 days of age, n = 1200) were randomly allotted into 5 stocking density groups of 5 ducks/m2, 6 ducks/m2, 7 ducks/m2, 8 ducks/m2, 9 ducks/m2, with 6 replicates for each group. One group was selected for monitoring the activity of ducks using video recording system. The optical flow measures were extracted to describe the duck flock activity statistically using night video data. On the 24 and 42 days of age, sample collection was conducted for initial and final body weight (BW) measurements respectively. The results showed that the stocking density had significant effects on final BW and weight gain (P   0.05). The stocking density also had significant effects on mean and variance of optical flow produced by duck flock activity throughout the experimental duration. In the last, a significant relation was found between the mean of optical flow and final BW (r2 = +0.87). These results show that the proposed method has potential in automatic growth monitoring and stocking density management of Pekin ducks. It can cut out the bio-security risk and animal stress of having people actually visiting duck houses.