Precision ag tech for citrus offers the ability to treat and monitor pests, deliver nutrients and irrigation perfectly, and more.
Precision agricultural technology has been on of the biggest developments in the ag industry in the last few years, and citrus can benefit. It lowers costs and increases harvests and profitability by cutting out waste, improving nutrition and irrigation, targeting pest control, and reclaiming profits that fall through the cracks. Precision ag tech for citrus is no different. A Citrus Industry article explained current developments in citrus precision ag tech; see a summary below.
Details on Precision Ag Tech for Citrus
New options for precision ag tech for citrus are being developed all the time. The following are currently available or are soon to be:
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) Sensors. Rather than utilizing manual sampling, UAVs utilize sensors that can detect and collect data on a variety of issues in the citrus grove. According to the article, “UAVs can provide growers with a low-cost tool to constantly monitor crop health status, estimate plant water needs, and even detect diseases. They offer a rapid method for high-resolution image acquisition and have been increasingly studied for agricultural applications.”
Automated Asian Citrus Psyllid (ACP) Monitoring. This tech automates the time-consuming tap sampling that citrus growers currently use to count psyllids and determine the need for spraying.
Data Maps. Per the article, “This system can generate a map of scouted trees (detected ACP numbers per tree) for a better visualization of the collected data (Figure 4). The collected ACP detection data can be used to generate prescription maps compatible with precision equipment for variable rate applications in order to apply the right amount of pesticides only where needed.”
Griffin Fertilizer is committed to helping both growers and ranchers make sound agronomic and economic decisions in order to maximize the health of their grove and pasture. As a full-service custom dry & liquid fertilizer blender and crop protection product distributor, we will continue our mission to further advance Florida agriculture. For questions or concerns about your farm or pasture, contact us and one of our team will be in touch.