ISHS Acta Horticulturae 824: International Symposium on Application of Precision Agriculture for Fruits and Vegetables
A PHYTOSANITARY EVALUATION METHOD (MEF) FOR COMMERCIAL CITRUS GROVES |
| Authors: | S.M. Garrán, L. Vera, M.J. Beribe, M.J. Tito, O. Faure, S. Massueli, R. Mika |
| Keywords: | crop loss assessment, fruit quality, yield estimation, pests, diseases, abiotic factors, precision fruit crop |
| Abstract:
Modern fruit production systems need that pests and diseases be monitored in order to estimate their effects and their economic impact. Although some information is available, a phytosanitary evaluation method taking into account the different biotic and abiotic factors affecting yield and fruit quality within a citrus grove has not been developed yet. The method (MEF) presented here is based on field surveys of citrus commercial plots performed close to harvest time. Diagnosis and quantification of yield losses are obtained through field inspection and estimation of the productive units assigned to each sampled tree. Trees are also surveyed for fruit quality by sampling from the 12 different sections that the tree canopy is divided into. Every sampled fruit is categorized according to Commercial Grading Standards and identifying the main causal agent affecting its grade. Data obtained from both yield and fruit quality samplings together with updated market prices for the different Commercial grades are then processed through algorithms and using Excel from Microsoft. In this way, relative incidences of both physical and economic losses due to main biotic and abiotic factors found to be affecting fruit yield and quality were able to be estimated. Since the method also provides information about the spatial distri¬bution of different pests and diseases within the plot, it can be considered suitable to be used as a basic tool in precision fruit production. | |
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