Development of an algorithm for assessing canopy volumes with terrestrial LiDAR to implement precision spraying in vineyards

Abstract

Precision spraying is one of the techniques for the reduction of pesticides use and it can help achieve the new European Green Deal standards. The aim of such technique is to apply the right amount of pesticides according to the target characteristics. The precision spraying implementation requires target volume assessment, which can be carried out by LiDAR sensors. Such technique requires complex and time-consuming procedures of canopy characteristics computing through post-processing points cloud reconstruction. The present work aimed to develop and test an algorithm through the use of a tractor-coupled with terrestrial LiDAR and GNSS technology in order to simplify the process. With the aim to evaluate the algorithm the LiDAR-based volume was correlated with two manual measurements of canopy volume (Tree Row Volume and Point Net Cloud). The results showed good correlations between manual and LiDAR measures both for total canopy volumes (R 2 = 0.67 and 0.56) and for partial canopy volume (R 2 = 0.74). In conclusion, although the LiDAR-based algorithm works in automatic mode, the canopy volumes approximation seems acceptable to estimate the canopy volumes, with the advantages of a swifter procedure and less laborious post-processing computations.