Department of Agronomy, University of Science and Technology in Bydgoszcz, S. Kaliskiego 7, 85-796, Bydgoszcz, Poland.
Institute of Electronics Systems, Warsaw University of Technology, Nowowiejska 15/19, 00-665, Warsaw, Poland.
Sci Rep. 2021 Aug 17;11(1):16660. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-96182-1.
Efficient use of scarce water resources is both a marketing objective and an environmental obligation for sustainable agriculture. In modern agricultural production, which is intensive and should at the same time be environmentally friendly, there is a need to monitor soil moisture, salinity and temperature. The aim of the study was to determine the demand of producers of agricultural and horticultural plants for equipment and systems for monitoring soil properties at an individual farm level in regions with highly developed agriculture. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 1087 respondents, also direct interviews in Poland were undertaken. According to the producers' responses, it is important to know soil moisture, salinity and temperature, although currently only about 4% of the surveyed farmers have the equipment to evaluate these soil parameters. In their view cost is not the most important obstacle to the purchase of the necessary probes. More important is that the devices should be easy to install and use, and have an easy to use application for data collection, processing and transfer. The current market does not offer solutions that meet these producers expectations. The demand for suitable probes is very high as over 80% of the farmers declared their willingness to purchase such probes. Technical problems related to the operation and servicing of such equipment were the most frequently mentioned impediments in their use. However, farmers and horticulturists believe that knowledge of their soil properties would allow them to optimize the elements of cultivation technology, including the use of plant irrigation systems, the use of mineral fertilizers and plant protection products.
高效利用稀缺水资源既是市场营销目标，也是可持续农业的环境义务。在集约型且应同时环保的现代农业生产中，需要监测土壤水分、盐分和温度。本研究旨在确定在农业高度发达地区，个体农场层面监测土壤特性的设备和系统对农业和园艺植物生产者的需求。对 1087 名受访者进行了问卷调查，同时在波兰进行了直接访谈。根据生产者的回应，了解土壤水分、盐分和温度很重要，尽管目前只有约 4%的受调查农民拥有评估这些土壤参数的设备。在他们看来，成本并不是购买必要探头的最大障碍。更重要的是，设备应该易于安装和使用，并且具有易于使用的应用程序，用于数据收集、处理和传输。当前市场没有满足这些生产者期望的解决方案。对合适探头的需求非常高，因为超过 80%的农民表示愿意购买此类探头。与设备操作和维护相关的技术问题是他们在使用中最常提到的障碍。然而，农民和园艺家们认为，了解土壤特性将使他们能够优化种植技术要素，包括灌溉系统的使用、矿物肥料和植保产品的使用。
