Direction-Dependent Path Loss Modeling in Olive Orchards for Precision Agriculture
For precision agriculture network planners, this work addresses the problem of inaccurate signal propagation modeling in row-structured orchards, though it is an incremental improvement over existing vegetation loss models.
This paper proposes a topology-based propagation model for olive orchards that accounts for row structure, achieving a closer fit to measured RSSI data than conventional models like FSPL and ITU-R formulations, enabling more reliable link budgeting and network planning in structured agricultural environments.
Wireless links deployed in orchards often exhibit significant variability in the strength of the received signal that is not adequately captured by classical distance-based propagation models. In row-structured olive groves, signal attenuation differs markedly between along-row and cross-row propagation directions, leading to discrepancies when using omnidirectional propagation assumptions such as those adopted in the Free Space Path Loss (FSPL) model or ITU-R vegetation loss formulations. This paper proposes a topology-based propagation model that explicitly accounts for orchard layout and the relative positions of radio devices within the plantation structure. Experimental validation was conducted using LoRa technology operating at 868 MHz, and the results were compared with established models from the literature and with the proposed two-dimensional model. The proposed approach achieves a closer fit to measured RSSI data than conventional models, providing a more reliable basis for link budgeting and network planning in structured agricultural environments.