Introducing Evja - "Rugged" Intelligent Support System for precision farming

<p>Precision agriculture is a farming system based on the combination of detailed observations, measuring and rapid-response to optimize energetic input to maximize crops production. Precision agriculture use decision support system (DSS) for optimize farm management. In this context, <em>EVJA Observe Prevent Improve</em> (or just EVJA) is an Intelligent Support System for precision agriculture. A vast set of data (i.e. temperature, relative humidity, deficit of vapour pressure, leaf wetness, solar radiation, carbon dioxide concentration, soil moisture etc.) is continuously collected, submitted to a local control unit, and processed through algorithms specifically developed for different crops. On the other hands, farmers can access EVJA from their pc and mobile devices, and monitor complex agronomic data analysis presented in a user-friendly interface.</p>In this article, we will show how EVJA works, and how its output can be used to assess the health state of plants through a specific set of functions. Moreover, we will show the methodology to develop useful predictive models based on this information.<p>Specifically, we will describe a predictive algorithms capable to predict the infection risks of downy mildew for baby leaves plantations and for Fusarium ear blight of wheat.</p>

Biometric characteristics of interspecific hybrids in the genus Secale

Breeding work using European rye populations has resulted in a considerable reduction of genetic variation in breeding materials of that species. Many taxa from the genus Secale may constitute a potential source of genetic variation in rye breeding. A source of new genetic variation can be found in such species as Secale montanum and Secale vavilovii, which are sources of resistance to fusarium ear blight and septoria leaf blotch, while Secale vavilovii may also be a source of sterilising cytoplasm. The aim of this study was to assess the efficiency of crossing the wild species Secale vavilovii and the rye subspecies Secale cereale subsp. afghanicum, Secale cereale subsp. ancestrale, Secale cereale subsp. dighoricum, Secale cereale subsp. segetale with the crop species Secale cereale ssp. cereale, and to produce F1 hybrids and describe selected morphological traits. Observations of biometric traits indicate that the F1 crosses produced may be potential sources of variation for common rye. The greatest variation in terms of all analysed phenotypic traits combined was found for the cross combinations S. c. ssp. cereale cv. Amilo × S. c. ssp. ancestrale and S. c. ssp. cereale cv. Dańkowskie Diament × S. c. ssp. dighoricum. The hybrids showed considerable variation in the analysed biometric traits within individual cross combinations.

Impact of selected antagonistic fungi on Fusarium species – toxigenic cereal pathogens

<em>Fusarium</em>-ear blight is a destructive disease in various cereal-growing regions and leads to significant yield and quality losses for farmers and to contamination of cereal grains with mycotoxins, mainly deoxynivalenol and derivatives, zearalenone and moniliformin. <em>Fusarium</em> pathogens grow well and produce significant inoculum on crop resiudues. Reduction of mycotoxins production and pathogen sporulation may be influenced by saprophytic fungi, exhibiting antagonistic effect. Dual culture bioassays were used to examine the impact of 92 isolates (belonging to 29 fungal species) against three toxigenic species, i.e. <em>Fusarium avenaceum</em> (Corda) Saccardo, <em>F. culmorum</em> (W.G.Smith) Saccardo and <em>F. graminearum</em> Schwabe. Both <em>F.culmorum</em> and <em>F. graminearum</em> isolates produce trichothecene mycotoxins and mycohormone zearalenone and are considered to be the most important cereal pathogens worldwide. Infection with those pathogens leads to accumulation of mycotoxins: deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEA) in grains. <em>Fusarium avenaceum</em> isolates are producers of moniliformin (MON) and enniatins. Isolates of <em>Trichoderma</em> sp. were found to be the most effective ones to control the growth of examined <em>Fusarium</em> species. The response of <em>Fusarium</em> isolates to antagonistic activity of <em>Trichoderma</em> isolates varied and also the isolates of <em>Trichoderma</em> differed in their antagonistic activity against <em>Fusarium</em> isolates. The production of MON by two isolates of F. avenaceum in dual culture on rice was reduced by 95% to 100% by <em>T. atroviride</em> isolate AN 35. The same antagonist reduced the amount of moniliformin from 100 μg/g to 6.5 μg/g when inoculated to rice culture contaminated with MON, which suggests the possible decomposition of this mycotoxin.

Health of leaves and ears of spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivated after different forecrops

The research was conduced in the years 2000-2002. The aim of the research was to determinate the health of leaves and ears of spring wheat cultivated after spring cruciferae plants such as: spring oilseed rape (<i>Brassica napus</i> ssp. <i>oleiferus</i> Metz.), chiiiese mustard (<i>Brassica juncea</i> L.), white mustard (<i>Sinapis alba</i> L.), ole iferous radish (<i>Raphanus sativus</i> var. <i>oleiferus</i> L.), false flax (<i>Camelina sativa</i> L.), crambe (<i>Crambe abbysinica</i> Hoechst.), as well as after oat (<i>Avena sativa</i> L.) as con trol. Spring wheat cv. Torka was sown after: pIoughed stubble cultivated on this field, ploughed stubble and straw, ploughed stubble with straw and 30 kg nitrogen per hectare. During all the years of studies on leaves and ears of spring wheat septo ria of leaf blotch and glume blotch (<i>Mycosphaerella graminicola, Phaeosphaeria nodorum</i>) were found. Brown rust (<i>Puccinia recondita</i> f. sp. <i>tritici</i>) was seen on leaves of wheat only during years 2001-2002. Besides on ears fusarium ear blight (Fusarimn sp.) was present in 2002 and sooty mould (<i>Cladosporium sp., Alternaria</i> sp.) in 2001. According to health of overground parts of plants the good forecrops to spring wheat were oat, chinese mustard, oleiferous radish. The biggest impact on presence of diseases of leaves and ears had the weather during years of studies. The use of after harvest rests didn't have significant influence on health of leaves and ears of spring wheat.