Project Number: 6209-13000-014-25
Project Type: Nonfunded Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Jun 01, 2010
End Date: Jul 31, 2013

Objective:
Develop a set of reflectance-based models for estimating percent cover using high resolution satellite data in the Texas High Plains.

Approach:
Ground truth data on percent cover will be collected from 30-40 fields in the USDA-ARS Conservation and Production Research Laboratory, Bushland, Texas, during the 2010 summer cropping season. A GPS will be used to identify the geographic location of the ground truth location. Data collection will be coincided with RapidEye satellite overpasses. A digital camera will be used to acquire photographs of the crops at nadir position. Digital photos will be classified into two categories to calculate percent cover using Multispec image processing system. Finally, spectral reflectance values for the ground truthing location will be extracted from the RapidEye images with a pixel size of 7.5 x 7.5 m to develop and evaluate a set of statistical models for estimating percent cover.