Multispectralremotesensingapplications foragriculture.

DouglasR.Olsen UpperMidwestAerospaceConsortium(UMAC) Dept.ofEarthSystemScienceandPolicy JohnD.OdegardSchoolofAerospaceSciences UniversityofNorthDakota GrandForksND

UASResearchApplicationsforPrecisionAgriculture
2012UnmannedAircraftSystems(UAS)ActionSummit: FromBattlefieldtoFarmField May22&23,2012 Alerus Center,GrandForks,ND
Acknowledgements HoJinKim ClintStreeter
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 AgriculturalApplications
Cropidentification,acreage estimation Cropconditions andinfield variability Decisionsupportformanagement drought,pests,flooding,disease, etc.

Multispectral RemoteSensing andAgriculture

Blue Green Red

Reflectance

NDVI=(NIR RED)/(NIR+RED)

0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0

NIR

NormalizedDifference VegetationIndex(NDVI) Methodstoobtainmulti spectralimagery

Satelliteimagery lowerresolution, widerarea Airborneimagery higher resolution,generallycostprohibitive UAS higherresolutionwithoutthe highercost?

0.7 0.6

Spectralsignature

Soil GreenVege. SceneseVege. Dryvege.

400

800

1200

1600

2000

2400

Wavelength(nm)

 AirborneEnvironmentalResearch ObservationalCamera(AEROCam)
4band(B,G,R,NIR)multispectralcamera CCDarraysizeof1920x1080 Groundsampledistance(GSD)between0.25to2 meters,dependingonaircraftaltitude RadiometricallycalibratedatNASAAmes

AEROCam

Equipment
UNDStudentbuilt;flownannuallyonboardUND PiperArrowaircraftsince2002 InertialMeasurementUnit(IMU),GPS,power, computer,displays,mounting(~125lbs.)

AEROCamundergoing calibration
AEROCam

Altitude1 GSD1 Altitude2 GSD2

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NonAgriculturalApplicationusing AEROCam DisasterMonitoring

AEROCam imagesovercityofMinot,ND,illustratinginundationfromSourisRiverflooding 4 (July5,2011).

Agriculturalenduserapplicationsof remotesensingimagery ashortlistofexamples

Assessingrangelandmaturityforherdandpasturemanagement Estimatingcowcarryingcapacityofleasedrangeland Detectinginvasivespeciesingrasslands,forspottreatment Planningimprovementinfielddrainage Estimatingnitrogencreditavailablefromvegetationresidual Useasafieldguideforfeehuntingservices Verifyingcompliancewithgovernmentprograms Mappingandestimatingacreageandcroptypes Cropconditionmonitoringtoaiddecisionsupportincropmanagement Determiningzonemapboundariesforvariablerateapplication Provingandquantifyingcropdamageduetohumanorenvironmental conditions
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Application#1 PrecisionAgriculture

Variablerateapplicationoffertilizer,herbicides,otherinputs

Increaseproductionwheresoilsandotherconditionsallow Reducescostandimprovesenvironmentalstewardship

Cropvigorfrompreviousyear,determinedbymultispectral imagery,canbeusedtowriteaprescriptionforfertilizer DoesNOTindicatehowmuch,butrather,whatpartsofthe fieldarealike,andthuscanbetreatedinasimilarmanner

Satellite(ASTER):15meters

Resultantzonemap

Application#2 CropManagementDecisionSupport

Isfungicideat$14.55/acre worthapplying?

Enablesspottreatmentof weedandinsectinfestations

# #

Waterhemp

Bean Leaf Beetle and Grasshopper Damage

#

Soybeans

<-Fungicide applied (7.6 bu/ac more yield

<-No fungicide FalseColorComposite(FCC)imagery fromIKONOSspacecraft(4mpixels)

Areas where nitrogen fertilizer was not applied.

Corn

Application#3(CropDamageAssessment)
Misapplicationoffertilizerinsugarbeetsbyvendor
Overlapsappliedtoomuchandburnedfoliage Skipscausedshortageofnutrients Imageryallowedforeasymeasurementoftotalareaaffected Farmerwasreimbursed$24,000fordamage

FalseColorComposite(FCC)image fromAEROCam(1meterpixels)

ClassifiedimagefromNDVI,with threeclassificationlevels:damaged 8 areasinRed

CropDamage Assessment (Contd)

Crop damage due to herbicide drift in windy conditions

CropDamageduetofault aerialequipment Visibledamagewas transitory,butcaused reductioninyield Timelyimageacquisition enabledinsuranceclaim