This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Geocarto International on 3 dec 2018, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/10106049.2018.1552322Methods of estimating the total amount of above-ground biomass (AGB) in crop
fields are generally based on labourious, random, and destructive in situ sampling.
This study proposes a methodology for estimating herbaceous crop biomass using
conventional optical cameras and structure from motion (SfM) photogrammetry.
The proposed method is based on the determination of volumes according to the
difference between a digital terrain model (DTM) and digital surface model (DSM)
of vegetative cover. A density factor was calibrated based on a subset of destructive
random samples to relate the volume and biomass and efficiently quantify the total
AGB. In all cases, RMSE Z values less than 0.23 m were obtained for the DTMDSM coupling. Biomass field data confirmed the goodness of fit of the yieldbiomass estimation (R2=0,88 and 1,12 kg/ha) mainly in plots with uniform
vegetation coverage. Furthermore, the method was demonstrated to be scalable to
multiple platform types and sensorsThis work was supported by the life project “Operation CO2: Integrated Agroforestry Practices and Nature
Conservation Against Climate Change - LIFE+ 11 ENV/ES/535” and by Xunta de Galicia under the grant
“Financial aid for the consolidation and structure of competitive units of investigation in the universities of
the University Galician System (2016-18)” Ref. ED431B 2016/030 and Ref. ED341D R2016/023.S
