Methodology for Olive Pruning Windrow Assessment Using 3D Time-of-Flight Camera

Abstract

The management of olive pruning residue has shifted from burning to shredding, laying residues on soil, or harvesting residues for use as a derivative. The objective of this research is to develop, test, and validate a methodology to measure the dimensions, outline, and bulk volume of pruning residue windrows in olive orchards using both a manual and a 3D Time-of-Flight (ToF) camera. Trees were pruned using trunk shaker targeted pruning, from which two different branch sizes were selected to build two separate windrow treatments with the same pruning residue dose. Four windrows were built for each treatment, and four sampling points were selected along each windrow to take measurements using both manual and 3D ToF measurements. Windrow section outline could be defined using a polynomial or a triangular function, although manual measurement required processing with a polynomial function, especially for high windrow volumes. Different branch sizes provided to be significant differences for polynomial function coefficients, while no significant differences were found for windrow width. Bigger branches provided less bulk volume, which implied that these branches formed less porous windrows that smaller ones. Finally, manual and 3D ToF camera measurements were validated, giving an adequate performance for olive pruning residue windrow in-field assessment.

Bioconversion Study of Olive Tree Biomass Hemicellulosic Hydrolysates by Candida guilliermondii at Different Scales for Ethanol and Xylitol Production

“…This kind of feedstock originated due to the need for optimizing the production of olive fruit and as a consequence of the tree rejuvenation by pruning. This operation entails the production of 1-10 t ha −1 of OTPB for super-high density olive groves, while high-density orchards produce 1.2-18.5 t ha −1 [13,14] and are experiencing continuous expansion around several countries linked to Mediterranean-like climates, reaching, in 2020, 12.8 Mha of the world's olive-growing surface [15]. Approximately 40% of this area is in the European Union (5.15 Mha), with Spain occupying the first place with 2.6 Mha, since it is considered the largest producer of olive oil in the world.…”

Automatic Branch–Leaf Segmentation and Leaf Phenotypic Parameter Estimation of Pear Trees Based on Three-Dimensional Point Clouds

“…Although image-based methods are low-cost and fast, the extraction of leaf phenotypes may be limited in complex scenarios with severe canopy overlap [5,6]. Fortunately, the use of ToF (Time of Flight) camera [7] and lidar in agriculture and forestry allows for the quick and accurate acquisition of three-dimensional information about the canopy, making the extraction of leaf phenotypic parameters as well as plants' (trees') volume efficient and accurate [8][9][10][11]. However, extracting leaves from canopy point cloud models to realize single leaf measurement is challenging [12].…”