Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for High-Throughput Phenotyping and Agronomic Research

Advances in automation and data science have led agriculturists to seek real-time, high-quality, high-volume crop data to accelerate crop improvement through breeding and to optimize agronomic practices. Breeders have recently gained massive data-collection capability in genome sequencing of plants. Faster phenotypic trait data collection and analysis relative to genetic data leads to faster and better selections in crop improvement. Furthermore, faster and higher-resolution crop data collection leads to greater capability for scientists and growers to improve precision-agriculture practices on increasingly larger farms; e.g., site-specific application of water and nutrients. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have recently gained traction as agricultural data collection systems. Using UAVs for agricultural remote sensing is an innovative technology that differs from traditional remote sensing in more ways than strictly higher-resolution images; it provides many new and unique possibilities, as well as new and unique challenges. Herein we report on processes and lessons learned from year 1-the summer 2015 and winter 2016 growing seasons-of a large multidisciplinary project evaluating UAV images across a range of breeding and agronomic research trials on a large research farm. Included are team and project planning, UAV and sensor selection and integration, and data collection and analysis workflow. The study involved many crops and both breeding plots and agronomic fields. The project's goal was to develop methods for UAVs to collect high-quality, high-volume crop data with fast turnaround time to field scientists. The project included five teams: Administration, Flight Operations, Sensors, Data Management, and Field Research. Four case studies involving multiple crops in breeding and agronomic applications add practical descriptive detail. Lessons learned include critical information on sensors, air vehicles, and configuration parameters for both. As the first and most comprehensive project of its kind to date, these lessons are particularly salient to researchers embarking on agricultural research with UAVs

Data from: Surveying the spatial distribution of feral sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) and its sympatry with johnsongrass (S. halepense) in South Texas

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) is an important grain and forage crop grown across the US. In some areas, sorghum can become feral along roadsides and other ruderal areas, as a result of seed spill during harvest or transport. In some of these situations, feral sorghum grows in or near established johnsongrass (S. halepense) populations. Johnsongrass, a wild relative of sorghum and an incredibly noxious weed, is capable of hybridizing with cultivated sorghum. Because commercial hybrid sorghum cultivars are produced with cytoplasmic male sterility, progeny of the hybrid crop which compose the founder feral populations also segregate for male sterility. Consequently, male sterility in feral sorghum may increase the risk of outcrossing with johnsongrass. Using field surveys and spatial modelling, the present study aimed at documenting the occurrence of feral sorghum and understanding the anthropogenic and environmental factors that influence its distribution. Further, this research documented the sympatry of feral sorghum and johnsongrass in the roadside habitat. A total of 2077 sites were visited during a systematic field survey conducted in fall 2014 in South Texas. Feral sorghum and johnsongrass were found in 360 and 939 sites, while the species co-existed at 48 sites (2.3% of all surveyed sites). The binary logistic analysis showed a significant association between the presence of feral sorghum and road type, road body-type, micro-topography of the sampling site, nearby land use, and the presence of johnsongrass, but no association with the distance to the nearest grain sorting facility. The probability of finding feral sorghum away from johnsongrass patches was generally higher than finding them co-occur in the same location. A probability map for spatial distribution of feral sorghum was developed using the nearby land use type and the regional habitat suitability for johnsongrass as two key predictors. Overall, results show that feral sorghum and johnsongrass co-occur at low frequencies in the roadside habitats of South Texas, but these low levels still present a significant opportunity for hybridization between the two species outside of cultivated fields

Feral sorghum data

Contains data obtained during the survey of feral sorghum in roadside habitats in South Texas during fall 2014

Response of Sesame to Selected Herbicides Applied Early in the Growing Season

Growth chamber experiments were conducted to evaluate the response of sesame to PRE and POST applications of soil residual herbicides. PRE applications of acetochlor and S-metolachlor at 1.26 and 1.43 kg ai·ha−1 showed little or no sesame injury (0 to 1%) 4 wks after herbicide treatments (WAT). POST treatments of acetochlor and trifluralin made 3 wks after planting (WAP) resulted in greater sesame injury (40%) compared to applications at bloom (18%). Field studies were conducted in Texas and Oklahoma during the 2014 and 2015 growing seasons to determine sesame response to clethodim, diuron, fluometuron, ethalfluralin, quizalofop-P, pendimethalin, pyroxasulfone, trifluralin, and trifloxysulfuron-sodium applied 2, 3, or 4 weeks after planting (WAP). Late-season sesame injury with the dinitroaniline herbicides consisted of a proliferation of primary branching at the upper nodes of the sesame plant (in the shape/form of a broom). Ethalfluralin and trifluralin caused more “brooming” effect than pendimethalin. Some yield reductions were noted with the dinitroaniline herbicides. Trifloxysulfuron-sodium caused the greatest injury (up to 97%) and resulted in yield reductions from the untreated check. Early-season diuron injury (leaf chlorosis and necrosis) decreased as application timing was delayed, and late-season injury was virtually nonexistent with only slight chlorosis (<4%) still apparent on the lower leaves. Sesame yield was not consistently affected by the diuron treatments. Fluometuron caused early-season injury (stunting/chlorosis), and a reduction of yield was observed at one location. Pyroxasulfone applied 2 WAP caused up to 25% sesame injury (stunting) but did not result in a yield reduction. Quizalofop-P caused slight injury (<5%) and no reduction in yield

Case_Study_4_weed_management_evaluation_Raw_Image_Data_1_of_10

Part 1 of 10 of raw individual images with gps log and ground truth. GPS log and ground truth are in part 10

Case_Study_4_weed_management_evaluation_Raw_Image_Data_10_of_10_GroundTruth

Part 10 of 10 of raw individual images with gps log and ground truth

Case_Study_4_weed_management_evaluation_Raw_Image_Data_2_of_10

Part 2 of 10 of raw individual images with gps log and ground truth. GPS log and ground truth are in part 10

Senecio nikoensis Miq.

原著和名: サハギク科名: キク科 = Compositae採集地: 東京都 高尾山 (武蔵 高尾山)採集日: 1986/7/15採集者: 萩庭丈壽整理番号: JH007357国立科学博物館整理番号: TNS-VS-95735