Role of Hyperspectral imaging for Precision Agriculture Monitoring

In the modern era precision agriculture has started emerging as a new revolution. Remote sensing is generally regarded as one of the most important techniques for agricultural monitoring at multiple spatiotemporal scales. This has expanded from traditional systems such as imaging systems, agricultural monitoring, atmospheric science, geology and defense to a variety of newly developing laboratory-based measurements. The development of hyperspectral imaging systems has taken precision agriculture a step further. Because of the spectral range limit of multispectral imagery, the detection of minute changes in materials is significantly lacking, this shortcoming can be overcome by hyperspectral sensors and prove useful in many agricultural applications. Recently, various emerging platforms also popularized hyperspectral remote sensing technology, however, it comes with the complexity of data storage and processing. This article provides a detailed overview of hyperspectral remote sensing that can be used for better estimation in agricultural applications

An Assessment of worldview-2 imagery for the classification of a mixed deciduous forest

Remote sensing provides a variety of methods for classifying forest communities and can be a valuable tool for the impact assessment of invasive species. The emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) infestation of ash trees (Fraxinus) in the United States has resulted in the mortality of large stands of ash throughout the Northeast. This study assessed the suitability of multi-temporal Worldview-2 multispectral satellite imagery for classifying a mixed deciduous forest in Upstate New York. Training sites were collected using a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver, with each training site consisting of a single tree of a corresponding class. Six classes were collected; Ash, Maple, Oak, Beech, Evergreen, and Other. Three different classifications were investigated on four data sets. A six class classification (6C), a two class classification consisting of ash and all other classes combined (2C), and a merging of the ash and maple classes for a five class classification (5C). The four data sets included Worldview-2 multispectral data collection from June 2010 (J-WV2) and September 2010 (S-WV2), a layer stacked data set using J-WV2 and S-WV2 (LS-WV2), and a reduced data set (RD-WV2). RD-WV2 was created using a statistical analysis of the processed and unprocessed imagery. Statistical analysis was used to reduce the dimensionality of the data and identify key bands to create a fourth data set (RD-WV2). Overall accuracy varied considerably depending upon the classification type, but results indicated that ash was confused with maple in a majority of the classifications. Ash was most accurately identified using the 2C classification and RD-WV2 data set (81.48%). A combination of the ash and maple classes yielded an accuracy of 89.41%. Future work should focus on separating the ash and maple classifiers by using data sources such as hyperspectral imagery, LiDAR, or extensive forest surveys

Detecting medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae (L.) Nevski) using high frequency, sequential, globally positioned digital images

Invasive plant species are expanding and transforming vegetative communities across Oregon and throughout the United States. Over the past three decades remote sensing, geographic information system (GIS), and Global Positioning System (GPS) technologies have been integrated to detect and map the distribution of noxious rangeland plants. This study developed low-cost protocols to detect and map Medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae (L.) Nevski) weed infestations using GPS loggers to track aircraft/camera position, altitude, and bearing, as well as Aerial Image Positioning Tool software to geographically rectify and project each aerial image. We then mapped the extent of medusahead in target areas and evaluated patterns of infestation. Flying in a single engine fixed-wing aircraft, images were collected every five seconds, with a total of 10,362 images obtained. All of the aerial images were processed and, on average, 23.9 % of the area was classified as medusahead infested, with 76.1 % without infestation. Each image covered 215 ha (531 acres), with 60% overlap, at a cost of $ 0.54/km². Our study also employed mobile mapping technology to map medusahead on the ground by digitizing infestations using a laptop computer equipped with a GPS antenna and GIS software. Mobile mapping was also done from aircraft, but yielded coarser infestation maps, as the observation distance was greater. These maps covered the full study area. Aerial reconnaissance and mobile survey is cost effective, because thousands of digital images were collected, automatically positioned, and stored

The utility of new generation multispectral sensors in assessing aboveground biomass of Phragmites australis in wetlands areas in the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality; South Africa.

Master of Science in Environmental Science. University of KwaZulu-Natal. Pietermaritzburg, 2017.Abstract available in PDF file

Evaluación de métodos basados en píxeles y objetos para la clasificación de usos de suelo con imágenes de satélite Quickbird, para el seguimiento de medidas agroambientales y la optimización del uso de herbicidas con agricultura de precisión

La agricultura ha estado íntimamente ligada al hombre desde el periodo neolítico, siendo siempre una actividad estratégica que ha permitido el desarrollo autosuficiente de las regiones. Conforme la sociedad ha ido evolucionando a lo largo de la historia, también la agricultura ha sufrido esa evolución, pasando de los primeros cultivos trabajados con técnicas rudimentarias en la época prehistórica hasta el moderno y tecnificado sistema de producción agrícola actual. Esta evolución agraria fue equilibrada hasta mediados del siglo XX, cuando la llamada revolución verde trajo consigo un salto cualitativo en la tecnificación de la agricultura como base de la agricultura industrial o de mercado. Este tipo de agricultura presenta como único objetivo maximizar los rendimientos de los cultivos, sin prestar atención a la conservación de los recursos naturales (suelo, agua, atmósfera, biodiversidad) sobre los que se sustenta (García‐Olmedo, 1998). Sin embargo, una actividad agrícola tan intensiva como ésta ha acarreado graves problemas medioambientales tales como erosión y salinización de suelos, contaminación de suelos y acuíferos y drástica reducción de la biodiversidad, lo que ha obligado a plantear el desarrollo de nuevas técnicas agrícolas. Desde finales del siglo XX, poco a poco se ha ido observando un crecimiento considerable de la sensibilización y búsqueda de conocimientos respecto a la relación agricultura‐medioambiente, lo que ha llevado a una fase de compensación o búsqueda de equilibrio entre la tendencia productivista tradicional y las actuales exigencias medioambientales (García‐Torres et al., 2004). Este completo conocimiento del medio y el posterior diseño de técnicas agrícolas adecuadas ha sido posible gracias al desarrollo de distintas técnicas geomáticas como los Sistema de Posicionamiento Global (GPS), los Sistemas de Información Geográfica (SIG), la geoestadística, y, por supuesto, la teledetección

Remote Sensing of the Aquatic Environments

The book highlights recent research efforts in the monitoring of aquatic districts with remote sensing observations and proximal sensing technology integrated with laboratory measurements. Optical satellite imagery gathered at spatial resolutions down to few meters has been used for quantitative estimations of harmful algal bloom extent and Chl-a mapping, as well as winds and currents from SAR acquisitions. The knowledge and understanding gained from this book can be used for the sustainable management of bodies of water across our planet

Commemorating 50 Years (1967-2017) 50th Anniversary Celebratory Volume, Asian-Pacific Weed Science Society (APWSS); Indian Society of Weed Science (ISWS), India and The Weed Science Society of Japan (WSSJ)

The impetus for this 50th Anniversary Celebratory Volume of the Asian-Pacific Weed Science Society (APWSS) came from our firm conviction of the immense effort by the Society’s founding fathers, and those who followed in their footsteps, to nurture the discipline in a way beneficial to the people and cultures in the Asian-Pacific region. After 50 years of existence, there is reason for the success of this ‘interchange’ of knowledge and association of like-minded people, to be celebrated. In this Celebratory Volume, with contributions from several members, we have attempted to contextualize the contributions of the APWSS, in terms of its origin and development, as well as its activities, which are firmly rooted in promoting the understanding of weeds and responsibly managing weed impacts with appropriate methods..