Agrometeorology
The specific agrometeorological measurement program developed as part of our R&D&I services for agricultural entrepreneurs is designed to meet user expectations, and specific model development and visualization have been developed in this context (www.metagro.hu). The practical applications of these developments are wide-ranging, as climatic parameters have a significant impact on the quality and efficiency of cultivation processes in arable crop production. Agrometeorological measurements, indices , and models derived from measurement series provide essential information for daily work organization and the planning of cultivation technology interventions (soil cultivation, sowing, plant protection, irrigation). A priority area is the accurate determination of water shortages (irrigation water) in irrigated areas. This research area aims to optimize water use, promoting modern water management and reducing soil degradation caused by irrigation. With the help of research, heterogeneities and differences within fields/crops can also be integrated into decision support systems, optimizing the challenges of precision irrigation (VRI).
Production potential
To protect soil fertility, quality and quantity, it is necessary to introduce basic soil protection practices in everyday practice. The cornerstones of such practices are rational and environmentally friendly nutrient management, soil cultivation, and the expansion of irrigation systems through the introduction of new technologies and solutions, with a focus on precision crop production technologies.
The basis for the effective introduction of precision crop production is the determination of variations and heterogeneity within the field. Soil-based mapping is the most reliable method for determining the potential of a production area or soil patch, which has been confirmed in international literature. Heterogeneity studies involve the geostatistical clustering of soil physical and chemical variations.
Surface and near-surface geophysical tools represent a new dimension in soil mapping, determining the physical and chemical parameters of soils, and monitoring degradation and amelioration processes. Keeping pace with international developments in the processing phase, we examine the differences between the various geostatistical methods and the advantages and difficulties of adapting them to practice. A key area of research is the methodological development and validation of n-dimensional data processing algorithms for intervention zones and clusters generated from parameters derived from combinations of individual surveys at different production sites.
Although there is a significant body of literature available on the application of geophysical methods in agriculture, depending on the technology, their generative application, comparative analysis, and examination of the fusion of multiple measurements still represent a significant, unexplored area. The research will enable us to apply the results of different technologies with greater accuracy, adapting flexibly to the actual physical, environmental, and production technology conditions.
A new feature of the organizational unit's program is the development and refinement of the results of calibration soil tests, which are essential for processing the primary data sources of precision soil mapping, using fast, cost-effective field technologies. The use of expensive analytical measuring equipment is accurate to the required degree, but it is time-consuming, equipment-intensive, and quite costly. Qualitative and quantitative tests based on the outcomes of developments in different areas of spectroscopy can provide a fast and cost-effective solution, however, their adaptation to specific production sites is a new area of R&D&I.
New technologies and methodological developments offer the possibility of rapidly determining the concentration of micro/toxic elements in addition to spatial heterogeneity, e.g. for assessing the optimal microenvironment of soil biota.
Plant development and growth
Precision soil mapping makes it possible to determine the potential of agricultural fields, production sites, and terroir, which is greatly influenced, both positively and negatively, by the climatic values of a given year, genotype, and cultivation technology. The quantitative and qualitative assessment of these effects and the determination of the negative impact of a given stress factor are based on sampling (recording) over short periods of time in order to reduce (eliminate) the effect. Thus, rapid and high-resolution recording and data processing are necessary for the planning of interventions (nutrient management, plant protection, irrigation), involving photogrammetric and remote sensing techniques.
In this research program, in parallel with other R&D activities, we are investigating the biophysical changes in individual plants and plant populations, determining spectral values measured in the UV, visible, near-infrared, and thermal ranges, and other plant physiological measurements. The new methodological approach allows the development of harmful stress (infection) to be determined using non-destructive sampling. According to the research hypothesis, spectral values and indexes can be used to reliably characterize a given area, the growth and development dynamics of a stand, the amount of biomass, the degree of stress, and the probability of its development. The research allows us to apply ratios based on different spectral reflectance values with greater accuracy, flexibly adapting to the actual physical, environmental, and production technology conditions from different remote sensing data collection methods (satellite, aircraft, and VTOL aerial photography). The field-based, non-destructive equipment pool developed and continuously expanded by the organisational unit enables the validation of remote sensing data, which is essential for achieving the set objectives.
The goal is to develop the most cost-effective recording system based on sampling protocols (phenological phases, frequency) for each crop, facilitating the effective application of precision farming technologies and the development of AI and agricultural robotics.