Unmanned aerial
systems (UAS), commonly referred to as drones, could help farmers determine if
their crop is growing satisfactorily, according to a recent study conducted by
University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture researchers.
The study evaluated the ability of a UAS to accurately and precisely determine plant populations of cotton. Producers routinely assess plant populations early in the growing season to determine the state of their crop - and what management decisions are needed to ensure an optimal harvest. This is most often done by counting the number of plants within a selected distance and repeating those counts in different locations throughout the field to find an average.
The study evaluated the ability of a UAS to accurately and precisely determine plant populations of cotton. Producers routinely assess plant populations early in the growing season to determine the state of their crop - and what management decisions are needed to ensure an optimal harvest. This is most often done by counting the number of plants within a selected distance and repeating those counts in different locations throughout the field to find an average.
"This
traditional approach is reliant upon a highly uniform plant population across
the entire field and can be influenced by human bias," says Shawn Butler,
graduate student in the University of Tennessee College of Agricultural
Sciences and Natural Resources. "Theoretically, an aerial approach could
provide spatially dense information on plant populations across large areas
quickly and remove human bias."
For
two years, researchers assessed plant stands of emerging cotton through manual
counting and through images obtained from both digital and multi-spectral
cameras mounted beneath a quad-copter. The quad-copter was flown at varying
altitudes ranging from 30 to 120 meters.
Of
the two camera
systems analyzed, the images produced from the multi-spectral camera proved to
be more accurate in estimating plant
populations, with a greater than 93 percent accuracy.
However, researchers say the red, green, blue (RGB) images produced by the
less-expensive digital camera still looked promising, with a greater than 85
percent accuracy using current methods and scripted programming.
"Based
on initial results, the aerial imagery provided by either RGB or multi-spectral
sensors may be a sufficient tool to improve accuracy and efficiency of plant
stand assessment," says Butler. "The most impactful difference to the
end user in deciding a method to use will be the cost between the two camera
systems."
"Crop
monitoring is a big obstacle for many producers," says Tyson Raper,
project leader and assistant professor with the UT Department of Plant
Sciences. "We want to continue to evaluate tools and methodologies that
have the potential to help farmers overcome monitoring challenges, improve
response time and increase profitability."
Butler
presented this research at the 2017 International ASA, CSSA and
SSSA Annual Meeting, "Managing Global Resources for a Secure
Future," held in Tampa, Florida. The American Society of Agronomy, Crop
Science Society of America and Soil Science Society of America hosted the
meeting.
Provided
by: University of Tennessee Institute
of Agriculture
Source: Smyleworld Info-Tech
