Machine learning model for nutrient release from biopolymers coated controlled-release fertilizer

Recent developments in the controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) have led to the new modern agriculture industry, also known as precision farming. Biopolymers as encapsulating agents for the production of controlled-release fertilizers have helped to overcome many challenging problems such as nutrient...

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Main Authors: Irfan, S.A., Azeem, B., Irshad, K., Algarni, S., Kushaari, K., Islam, S., Abdelmohimen, M.A.H.
Format: Article
Institution: Universiti Teknologi Petronas
Record Id / ISBN-0: utp-eprints.29795 /
Published: MDPI AG 2020
Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85095985856&doi=10.3390%2fagriculture10110538&partnerID=40&md5=74064f191e90339f824ffd617826905d
http://eprints.utp.edu.my/29795/
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Summary: Recent developments in the controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) have led to the new modern agriculture industry, also known as precision farming. Biopolymers as encapsulating agents for the production of controlled-release fertilizers have helped to overcome many challenging problems such as nutrients� leaching, soil degradation, soil debris, and hefty production cost. Mechanistic modeling of biopolymers coated CRF makes it challenging due to the complicated phenomenon of biodegradation. In this study, a machine learning model is developed utilizing Gaussian process regression to predict the nutrient release time from biopolymer coated CRF with the input parameters consisting of diffusion coefficient, coefficient of-variance of coating thickness, coating mass thickness, coefficient of variance of size distribution and surface hardness from biopolymer coated controlled-release fertilizer. The developed model has shown greater prediction capabilities measured with R2 equalling 1 and a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) equalling 0.003. The developed model can be utilized to study the nutrient release profile of different biopolymers�-coated controlled-release fertilizers. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.