The popularity and demand for high-quality date palm fruits (Phoenix dactylifera L.) have been growing, and their quality largely depends on the type of handling, storage, and processing methods. The current methods of geometric evaluation and classification of date palm fruits are characterised by high labour intensity and are usually performed mechanically, which may cause additional damage and reduce the quality and value of the product. Therefore, non-contact methods are being sought based on image analysis, with digital solutions controlling the evaluation and classification processes. The main objective of this paper is to develop an automatic classification model for varieties of date palm fruits using a convolutional neural network (CNN) based on two fundamental criteria, i.e., colour difference and evaluation of geometric parameters of dates. A CNN with a fixed architecture was built, marked as DateNET, consisting of a system of five alternating Conv2D, MaxPooling2D, and Dropout classes. The validation accuracy of the model presented in this study depended on the selection of classification criteria. It was 85.24% for fruit colour-based classification and 87.62% for the geometric parameters only; however, it increased considerably to 93.41% when both the colour and geometry of dates were considered.

This paper describes the research aimed at developing an effective quality assessment method for potato tubers using neural image analysis techniques. Nowadays, the methods used to identify damage and diseases are time-consuming, require specialized knowledge, and often rely on subjective judgment. This study showed the use of the developed neural model as a tool supporting the evaluation of potato tubers during the sorting process in the storage room.

An important factor along with the availability of food is its quality. It depends, among other things, on the type of plant protection products used and the method of their application. This manuscript presents research on the possibility of using a shielded band sprayer in field onion cultivation. The shielded band spraying technology presented in this article is the subject of a patent application (application number P.428494-The prototype of the machine was produced in Poland in cooperation with the University of Life Sciences in Poznań). The research consisted in comparing the quantity and quality of the obtained crop, based on various methods of reducing the weed population. The research results indicate that the proposed shielded band spraying technology may affect the food quality (the active substance is not sprayed on onion plants) and profitability of farms (less use of plant protection products).

Lakes are one of most important freshwater ecosystems, playing significant role in functioning of nature and human economy. Swarzędzkie Lake is good example of ecosystem, which in last half-century was exposed to the influence of strong anthropopressure. Direct inflow of sewage with large number...

The purpose of the field experiments was to show possible differences in the quality and size of onion yield and the amount of working liquid used in the technology of the precise application of herbicides. The research material was an onion plantation during three growing seasons in 2015/2016, 2016/2017, and 2017/2018. Cultivation conditions were the same for all plots covered by the experiment. Onions were grown in the row-strip method with a spacing of 150 cm. The experimental factor was the method of weed control on the plots: A—without weeding (control); B—manual weeding; C—conventional herbicide application; D—precise herbicide application. Herbicides were used: Agil 100EC, Pendigan 330EC, Roundup 360SL, Galigan 240EC, Goal 480SC, Lontrel 300SL, Emblem 20WP, Fusilade Forte 150EC, Szogun 10EC, and Lentagran 45WP. The total onion yield did not differ statistically within the accepted confidence interval, regardless of the weeding method in the growing seasons studied. The developed technology allows a reduction in herbicide consumption in onion cultivation by 26% compared to conventional technology, which is of great importance in the aspect of introducing chemical substances into the environment and their accumulation in crops.