Assessing remote sensing vegetation index sensitivities for tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus) plant health with varying endophyte and fertilizer types: A case for improving poultry manuresheds

Authors: Flynn, Kyle; LEE, TREY - University Of Oklahoma; Endale, Dinku; Franzluebbers, Alan; MA, SHENGFANG - Independent Ecological Researcher; ZHOU, YUTING - Oklahoma State University

Submitted to: Remote Sensing
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/27/2021
Publication Date: 2/2/2021
Citation: Flynn, K.C., Lee, T., Endale, D.M., Franzluebbers, A.J., Ma, S., Zhou, Y. 2021. Assessing remote sensing vegetation index sensitivities for tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus) plant health with varying endophyte and fertilizer types: A case for improving poultry manuresheds. Remote Sensing. 13(3). Article 521. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13030521.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13030521

Interpretive Summary: Tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus) is a common perennial forage in cattle pastures of the southeastern United States. An endophyte normally infects the grass and produces toxins that can be problematic when consumed by livestock, but fungal biotypes that overcome this issue have been developed for production. Here remote sensing methods were used to assess plant health in 1-ha grazed paddocks with application amongst different combinations of fertilizer sources (inorganic and broiler litter) and endophyte associations (wild, novel - tall fescue MaxQ type with novel endophyte, and free). Broiler litter fertilization is common in the region due to the presence of many chicken farms. Moreover, broiler litter costs are comparable to inorganic fertilizer depending on distance from source to application. Incorporating remote sensing, we tested the sensitivity of three indices to assess fescue plant health. Indices were obtained from satellite imagery provided by Landsat 7 ETM+ between the years 2005 and 2009. Sensitivity analytics suggested the most sensitive index to determine fescue plant health. Using this index it was found that there was no significant difference in normal or wet years due to tall fescue endophyte association or type of fertilization. Nevertheless, the data and findings point to the potential use of satellite imagery in assessing grazingland tall fescue health and advancing the concept of poultry manureshed in the region or elsewhere where poultry manure production is extensive.

Technical Abstract: Tall fescue (Schedonorus arundinaceus) is a common perennial forage in cattle pastures of the southeastern United States. A mutualistic fungal endophyte normally infects the grass and produces ergot alkaloids toxic to livestock, but fungal biotypes that have no ergot alkaloid production have been developed. Here remote sensing methods were used to assess plant health in 1-ha grazed paddocks with application amongst different combinations of fertilizer sources (inorganic and broiler litter) and endophyte associations (wild, novel - tall fescue MaxQ type with novel endophyte, and free). Broiler litter fertilization is common in the region due to the presence of many chicken farms. Moreover, broiler litter costs are comparable to inorganic fertilizer depending on distance from source to application. Incorporating remote sensing, we tested the sensitivity of three indices: normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), enhanced vegetation index (EVI), and land surface water index (LSWI) to assess fescue plant health. Indices were obtained from satellite imagery provided by Landsat 7 ETM+ between the years 2005 and 2009. Sensitivity analytics suggested that LSWI was the optimum index to determine fescue plant health. The dry year showed significant difference between fertilizer types (p = 0.05) and a nearly significant difference between endophyte associations (p = 0.08). There was no significant difference in normal or wet years due to tall fescue endophyte association or type of fertilization. Limited availability of satellite imagery during parts of the five years of study might have influenced outcomes of statistical analysis. Nevertheless, the data and findings point to the potential use of satellite imagery in assessing grazingland tall fescue health and advancing the concept of poultry manureshed in the region or elsewhere where poultry manure production is extensive.