Biospeckle Laser (BSL) como ferramenta de avaliação para determinação de teor de umidade de solo

Abstract

The Brazilian agricultural sector has undergone a significant transformation with the incorporation of new technologies aimed at increasing the efficiency and sustainability of agricultural practices. The agricultural censuses of 2006 and 2017 showed that Brazil stood out in total factor productivity, reflecting an average annual growth rate of around 4.3%, higher than other countries such as Argentina (2.7%), Chile (3.1%), the United States (1.9%), and China (3.3%). It is clear that technology has played a fundamental role in increasing agricultural production in Brazil, helping to modernize the sector and boosting the productivity and efficiency of operations. In this context, advanced evaluation and monitoring methods have become essential to ensure the quality of agricultural products, plant health, and the optimization of natural resources. Among the emerging techniques, the Biospeckle Laser (BLS) phenomenon stands out as a non-invasive optical tool that has shown great potential for various applications in biological materials.Given this scenario, the main objective of this work is to evaluate the effectiveness of BLS as an Assessment Tool in Agricultural Engineering: Studying the correlation between MI values and soil moisture content. The experiment of this research was carried out in the Prototyping Laboratory (LAPROT) of the Agricultural Engineering Department at the Federal University of Sergipe. Image capture was performed using a mini camera connected to a mini-computer equipped with code that provided the MI values. The experimental setup for speckle pattern analysis consisted of 4 (four) soil sample treatments with 3 (three) repetitions under different moisture content conditions. Statistical analysis was then performed. The results presented in Table 2 indicate a non-normal distribution (W = 0.622, p = 0.001, p < 0.05), suggesting that the null hypothesis of normality should be rejected (Shapiro; Wilk, 1965). Furthermore, the results indicated a significant difference between the four treatments (H = 186.657 and p = 0.001, p < 0.05), suggesting that two or more treatments differ (Kruskal; Wallis, 1952). In conclusion, the use of Biospeckle Laser in Agricultural Engineering can significantly contribute to increasing efficiency in production and quality processes, as well as providing an innovative and sustainable approach.