Farm Mapping

Yield Data Processing
Electro Magnetic Surveying
Crop Imaging

 

 

 

 

 

 




Winter Crop Imaging
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Agroview Crop Imaging and Management Service.
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Variability within Australian crops has a significant impact on yields, profitability and industry sustainability. At ground level variability is difficult to assess. However, infrared images collected using airborne or satellite sensors readily show crop variability. The images show where to sample crops and identify differences within individual paddocks and across farms.

Growers and agronomists have the opportunity to investigate the causes of the variability and implement field or management strategies to improve crop uniformity and yield and profitability.

While highlighting differences within crops and pastures has been the primary use of remote sensing to date, the ability to estimate actual parameters such as biomass, moisture stress, yield, quality, specific nutritional status, weed distribution or diseased areas are rapidly emerging applications. In addition to these in-season uses, remotely sensed imagery collected over a number of seasons is a powerful tool for determination of production zones.

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Processed satellite imagery showing relative crop stage across a farm

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Crop vigor index derived from SPOT imagery for a rice field. Following
tissue analysis for nitrogen content, nitrogen was applied a different
rates across the field


A Standardised crop vigour index of a cotton crop in
Dec and Jan using SPOT satellite imagery

Grower experience has demonstrated the extent of crop variability shown by typical fields and its significant impact on crop yield. Identifying this variability using crop imaging has enabled growers and agronomists to target crop sampling and when justified, develop and apply variable rate application plans for nitrogen fertiliser.
These plans have resulted in many substantial yield improvements relative to conventional uniform application strategies.

Image Processing. Working with EADS Astrium, a subsidiary of the European Aeronautical, Defense and Space Organisation, Terrabyte has developed techniques for the processing of imagery that will clearly differentiate between and within zones.

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Sample field vigour

The information provided by the images is being used to target further crop monitoring and investigate areas that appear to have differing vigour. The images are not a diagnostic tool – they can identify variation but not the specific causes of crop variability.

“Ground truthing” and further analysis using all available information may allow development of a variable rate nitrogen application map.

There are many causes of crop variability and good paddock history records, landforming maps, soil testing results, previous crop information and detailed in-crop observations will all assist the interpretation process.

Images are provided in 2 formats.

a) Field Vigour Image.
Each field is presented as a 12 colour image highlighting the within-field variability. The colours will represent the high, average and low crop vigour for that specific field with colours for one field, not directly comparable to the same colours in another field. This image is primarily used to develop a sampling strategy for the individual fields.

b) Regional Index

A separate image showing all ordered fields for an individual farm is also provided as a regional index. This image shows crop vigour expressed as a scale from 1 to 100 with a consistent, continuous colour scheme. This will allow direct comparison of the growth between individual fields within a region, even when imaged on multiple dates.
This image also identifies the magnitude of variation. While the field vigour image will display 12 colours for each field, whether the crop is highly variable or relatively uniform, the regional index represents the actual crop vigour value.

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Paddock Vigour

Regional Index


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