Smart Sensor Monitoring in Energy Crop Biomass Production

Abstract

Sustainable biomass production is recognized as a key moment in the development of the European bioeconomy. In order for the production to be truly sustainable, a holistic approach is needed for research of new technologies and methods that are at the same time economically viable, environmentally friendly and socially acceptable. The approach of smart agriculture is based on the collection and processing of large databases that serve to understand crop reactions to the current environment and enable rational production planning. This paper gives a brief overview of IT used in agriculture with a focus on monitoring the biomass of energy crops in order to indicate the current level of development and potential application in the region. Biomass development monitoring is presented through the application of Data Acquisition Sensors, Biomass indexes and Data Processing And Analysis Methods. The current level of development of these technologies enables monitoring of biomass development (primarily through the vegetation index and crop height) in real time and in the selected area. The data collected in this way are used to predict and take adequate agro-technical measures at the right time, which leads to high stable yields.