smartAKIS Dataset

Pforte, F.; Selbeck, J.; Hensel, O.

The transnational project “3D Mosaic” deals with the optimisation of water and fertiliser efficiency in orchards. Detection of the canopy coverage at tree level provides information about the growth capacity of the tree and enables estimation of the possible yield or the influence of reduced water supply in an orchard. Detection must be performed in an automated mode that may be achieved by means of two optical approaches: NIR image analysis, with the calculation of leaf coverage within the image versus non-covered area, and counting the number of laser-scanner (LiDAR) hits per tree. The present study, conducted in an experimental orchard of 180 plum trees, aimed to evaluate and compare these methods using a vertical top-down viewing direction for the sensors.