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Real-time monitoring of Farmland in Asia using Field Server

Masaru Mizoguchi1*

Shoichi Mitsuishi2 Tetsu Ito2 Seishi Ninomiya3 Masayuki Hirafuji3 TokihiroFukatsu3 Takuji Kiura3 Kei Tanaka3 Hitoshi Toritani4 Hiromasa Hamada4

Kiyoshi Honda6

1 Interfaculty Initiative in information Studies, The University of Tokyo2 Department of Global Agricultural Science, The University of Tokyo

3 National Agriculture and Food Research Organization4 National Institute for Agro-Environmental Sciences

5 Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences6 School of Engineering and Technology, Asian Institute of Technology

International Symposium on Geoinformatics for Spatial Infrastructure Development in Earth and Allied Sciences 2008

December 5, 2008, Hanoi, Vietnam

IntroductionSpatial and continuous soil monitoring over large area

for assessing impacts of land use and management on soil quality

Remote-sensing technique by orbiting satelliteGives us Information on only the surface but the inside of soil.

To get Information on the inside of the soil,Soil scientists survey soil profiles and monitor soil physical properties

soil water moisture, temperature, ECSome sensors connected to a data logger in a pit selected from large area

the selected point is not guaranteed to be representativeTherefore, we need a lot of data loggers in a large area

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Original Objective of this research

2007.6.13

QuickBird

To validate soil moisture dataBetween remote-sensing and direct measurement

(But not yet succeeded)

By using Field Sever technology

In this study,Outline the monitoring systemDiscuss the problems that we must solve

What is Field Server?- To see is to believe -

• New technologies developed by NARO– National Agriculture and Food Research

Organization• An on-site field monitoring system

– that collects data on crop, climate and soils in agricultural fields

– and sends the data– along with high-resolution digital photos– to a laboratory via the Internet

• Each FS communicates through a Wi-Finetwork

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Farmer's market

Greenhousehouse

FTTH，ADSL

i-Space

FiledServer

Farmer's restaurant

Mountain

Hotspot Wireless relay communication

Farm inn

Field or Forest

Camping site

Amenity farm Organic farmFishing spot

Soil information system by Field Server

We use ECH2O as a standard soil moisture sensor

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Soil sensor

• ECH2O soil moisture sensors measure– volumetric water content accurately and

economically– the dielectric permittivity of the soil

• Benefits include: – TDR-level performance at a fraction of the

cost – Very low power requirement– Easy installation at any depth and

orientation

http://www.decagon.com/ECH2O/

Experimental site• in a rain-fed field in Khon Kaen, Thailand

– Soil moisture distribution changes dynamically according to land use

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Monitoring data

• Meteorological data – air temperature– humidity– radiation– wind speed– precipitation

• Soil data at 4, 8, 16, 32 cm– soil moisture content– temperature– electrical conductivity

• Image data of the site

Location （Paddy field in Khon Kaen, Thailand）

735 m

As of Dec 5, 2008

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Dry and Rainy seasons of rain-fed paddy field in Khon Kaen, Thailand

↑ 2007.12.25 (Dry season)

↑ 2008.5.23 (Rainy season)

Diagram of real-time soil information monitoring system

• Soil data flow– Soil – sensor – (data logger) – Field Server –– Router – Satellite – AIT – NARO – UT

RS232C

Soil moisture sensors Solar panel

FS-1FS-2

Meshnet router

Agent BoxIP-star router

SatelliteAIT

UTRS232C

Soil moisture sensors Solar panel

FS-1FS-2

Meshnet router

Agent BoxIP-star router

SatelliteAIT

UT

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Data storage (AIT – NARO – UT)Real-time monitoring data sent from a rain-fed field

Meteorological data are obtained as a xml-table and graphs

An example of soil monitoring data

Precipitation

Accumulated precipitation

Soil temperature

Soil moisture

Water logging

To see is to believe!

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Short summary

• On the way to the goal– Not yet progress to compare satellite data– Only one field sever is alive!

• need more reliable FS technology

• Another possibility of FS– Farmland management tool

Other sites in Asia

SRI site in Bogor, Indonesia Spinach field in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Cabbage field in Tsumagoi, Japan Peanuts field in Hokusou, Japan

Real time demo

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Soil moisture in Cabbage filed changes according to rain and vegetation

680

700

720

740

760

780

7/4 7/9 7/14 7/19 7/24

DATE

Soil

Wat

er

(mV

)

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

Rai

n (m

m/h)

Soil waterRain (mm/h)

Before harvesting (6/23)

Harvesting(7/18)

Cultivating (7/24) Planting (7/26) Growing (7/26)

To see is to believe!

0858 0908 0918

0928 0938 0948

SRI planting images using Field Server in Bogor, Indonesea (June 6, 2008)

0858 08:58 JST(Japanese Standard Time)

FS is promising as a farmland management tool

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Future of Field Server

under Japan’s National project

Group on Earth Observations (GEO)The Ten Year Implementation Plan forGlobal Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS)

National Key TechnologyThe Third Science and Technology Basic Plan

Council for Science and Technology Policy (CSTP)

Earth Observation Data Integration and Fusion Research Initiative(EDITORIA)

Data Infrastructureand

Interoperability

Supporting Sound Decision Making

Observation Convergence

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12Year2010Year2020Year2030Year2040Year20500

51015202530354045

単位:0.1度

月

Numerical Simulation & Prediction Model Outputs Socio-economic Data

Geographical Information

Graduate School of Engineering Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences Ocean Research Institute

Institute of Industrial ScienceCenter for Climate System Research

Center for Spatial Information Science

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Application of agro-informatics to management of safe agricultural production

Global observation data for agricultural production

Tools for data fusion of

agricultural information

Collaboration between University and Institutes

input

Agricultural production supporting tool considering propagating information(1997-2000)

Collaboration system of DB and model(2001-2005)

Climate prediction by model

Vegetation data by satellite

Meteorological data

History of agricultural crop management

Data Integration and Fusion System

Link to models

Rice growth model

Soil water prediction model

Ecosystem model

Early-warning system for cold-weather damage

Check system of right crop for right land system

Societal Benefits

Information based on knowledge from scientific data and models

↓Low-cost, high-quality and safe

agricultural production

How much pesticide should we spread?

Most appropriate daySeeding, planting, fertilizing

Soil moisture control

Prediction of the best cultivation

day

future vegetation of cabbage

Decision by agricultural information

Future application

Solution of food and environmental issues in the world

Real-time observation data in agricultural field

Tools for data collection

Conclusions- Field Server -

• is a new technology for spatial measurement of agricultural field

• has a great potential for soil Information monitoring

• waits for the development of powerful and useful sensors:– ECHO-TE (Soil moisture, Soil temperature, EC)– Nitro-sensors (NH4, NO3, NO2, etc)?– GHG-sensors (CH4, N2O, etc)?

• will bring IT in agriculture a big chance under the National project related to the 10-year Implementation Plan for GEOSS

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Problems to be solved

• FS engineering SSG, SOS by Honda– Quick and easy setup– Maintenance for stable working of FS

• Reliability of Soil moisture sensors– Quick and easy calibration of sensors– for high moisture content range

• Monsoon-Asia

Thank you for your attention

Masaru Mizoguchi

Lab. of Soil & Agro-InformaticsInterfaculty Initiative in information Studies

University of TokyoJAPAN

amizo@mail.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Hon MizoDec. 27, 2006

http://www.iai.ga.a.u-tokyo.ac.jp/mizo/research/fieldinfomatics/