Application of Remote Sensing

in Agricultural Research and

Regional Productivity
Assessment

I. Ortiz-Monasterio and D. Lobell

Planting Date

1999-2000
2001-2002
2002-2003
 Planting Date
30 Dec

10 Nov

Wheat, 2001-2002
 Planting Date Validation
2001-2002
70

R2=76%
Mean Date Estimate (days after Nov. 1)

60 Outlier?

50

40

30

20

10
10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Reported Avg. Date (days after Nov. 1)

y=1.12x 4.3 (no sig. Difference from 1:1) rms=5.6 days

 Planting Date Validation
2002-2003
Farmer Reported Planting Date

60 R2 =0.85

40

20

20 40 60

Image Planting Date (days after Nov 1)

 14000
12000 Recommended 1999-2000
Planting Date
Area Planted (Ha)

10000
8000 2001-2002 2002-2003

6000
4000
2000
0

0 20 40 60 80
Nov 15 Planting Date (days after Nov 1) Dec 15
 Average Yields
1999-2000

Recommended
700 planting date
600
500
400
Series1
300
-20%
200
100
0
1
5
9
13
17
21
25
29
33
Nov 19 Dec 15 37
 Average Yields
2001-2002

Recommended
800 planting date
700
600
500
400 Series1
300
200
100 -51% +2%
> 500 has
0 late and early
1 11 21 31 41 51 61 planted

Nov 1 Nov 30 Dec 31

 Average Yields
2002-2003

800
Recommended
700 planting date
600
500
400 Series1
300
200
100
-8% +8%
0
1 11 21 31 41 51

Nov 7 Nov 30 Dec 31

 1999-2000

Planting Date Area %Area Yield Production

-ha- -%- t/ha -tons-
< Nov. 15 3,655 1.7 - -
Nov.15 Dec. 15 90,157 49.3 6.07 547,253
> Dec. 15 89,598 49.0 5.05 452,470
Total 182,979 999,723

Scenario Regional Production

Actual 999,723
All in recommended PD 1,110,683
Production Gain 110,960 (11.0%)

110,960 tons x 1800 pesos = 199,728,000 pesos

in lost revenue
 2001-2002

Planting Date Area %Area Yield Production

-ha- -%- t/ha -tons-
< Nov. 15 10,672 6.1 2.95 31,482
Nov.15 Dec. 15 129,830 74.8 5.97 775,085
> Dec. 15 43,750 25.2 6.11 267,313
Total 173,580 1,073,880

Scenario Regional Production

Actual 1,073,880
All in recommended PD 1,099,980
Production Gain 26,104 (2.4%)

26,104 tons x 1800 pesos = 46,987,200 pesos

in lost revenue
 2002-2003

Planting Date Area %Area Yield Production

-ha- -%- t/ha -tons-
< Nov. 15 31,120 18.2 4.34 135,061
Nov.15 Dec. 15 88,470 51.7 4.70 415,809
> Dec. 15 51,402 30.1 5.07 260,608
Total 170,992 811,478

Scenario Regional Production

Actual 811,478
All in recommended PD 803,662
Production Gain - 7,816 -(0.9%)

7,816 tons x 1800 pesos = 14,068,800 pesos

in saved revenue
Summer Weeds on Wheat Yields
in the following Winter

2001 & 2002

Aug 7, 2001
 2 x 2 km

0.5 Crops

Weeds

0.1 Bare Soil

0.0
0.5

0.0
Aug 7, 2001
 2001-2002

800

700

600

500
1stquart
400 median
3rdquart
300
Weeds Crops
200

100

0
1
9
17
25
33
41
49
57
65
73
0.1 0.5
NDVI
 2002-2003

800

700

600

500
1stquart
400 median

300
Weeds Crops 3rdquart

200

100

0
1
9
17
25
33
41
49
57
65
73
0.1 0.5
NDVI
Table 1. The effect of different land covers during the presiding summer on wheat
yields (without perennial crops).

Land Cover 2001-2002 2002-2003

Area Yield Area Yield

-ha- -kg/ha- -ha- -kg/ha-

Bare Soil 102,761 6567 99,780 5730
Soil Cover 82,627 5855 57,547 5086
Weeds 76,631 5694 51,195 5164
Crops 5,996 6065 6,352 4984

Total 185,388 157,327

Official Summer Crop Area 3,421 5,399

Table 2. The effect of different land covers during the presiding summer on wheat
yields (without perennial crops).

Land Cover 2001-2002 2002-2003

Area Yield Area Yield

-ha- -kg/ha- -ha- -kg/ha-

Bare Soil 102,761 6567 99,780 5730
Weedy 76,631 5694 51,195 5164
Low Density Weeds 60,157 5867 37,557 5272
High Density Weeds 16,474 5585 13,638 5097
Crops 5,996 6065 6,352 4984

Total 185,388 157,327

Official Summer Crop Area 3,421 5,399

Table 3. Scenario building with different summer managements on wheat yield for
2001-2002.

Scenario Production Absolute Gain %Gain

-tons- -tons-
Actual 1,156,426
Weedy as follow 1,213,467 57,041 4.9%
Weedy and crop as follow 1,217,442 61,016 5.2%

57,041 tons x 1800 pesos/ton = 102,673,800 pesos

 Results from 2001-2002
with 2002-2003 Prices

Management Wheat Yield Prices

(kg/ha) (pesos/ha)
Bare Soil 6567
Weedy 5694

Yield Gain 873 1571

Cost of two disking 1000

Profit 571
Table 4. Scenario building with different summer managements on wheat yield for
2002-2003.

Scenario Production Absolute Gain %Gain

-tons- -tons-
Actual 860,945
Weedy as follow 896,588 35,643 4.1%
Weedy and crop as follow 901,326 40,381 4.7%

35,643 tons x 1800 pesos/ton = 64,157,400 pesos

 Results from 2002-2003
with 2002-2003 Prices

Management Wheat Yield Prices

(kg/ha) (pesos/ha)
Bare Soil 5730
Weedy 5086

Yield Gain 644 1159

Cost of two disking 1000

Profit 159