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ARS Home » Plains Area » Bushland, Texas » Conservation and Production Research Laboratory » Soil and Water Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #388308
Research Project: Precipitation and Irrigation Management to Optimize Profits from Crop Production

Location: Soil and Water Management Research

Title: Using UAV mounted multispectral sensor as a decision support system for automated irrigation scheduling

Author
item DUVALL, BENJAMIN - West Texas A & M University
item BEDNARZ, CRAIG - West Texas A & M University
item Oshaughnessy, Susan
item BLAZER, BROCK - West Texas A & M University
item HOWELL, NATHAN - West Texas A & M University
item BHANDARI, MAHENDRA - Texas A&M University

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/16/2021
Publication Date: 10/6/2021
Citation: Duvall, B.B., Bednarz, C.W., O'Shaughnessy, S.A., Blazer, B.C., Howell, N., Bhandari, M. 2021. Using UAV mounted multispectral sensor as a decision support system for automated irrigation scheduling [abstract]. Universities Council on Water Resources (UCOWR): Water Smart Innovations Conference, October 6-7, 2021, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Precision Agriculture is the next revolution in crop management and allows spatial variation in fields to be documented and managed differently to increase uniformity and yields on a much smaller area than previous management practices. Precision Agriculture uses a combination of Global Positioning Systems, Geographical Information Systems and Remote Sensors to delineate management zones for variable rate applications. Multispectral remote sensing allows for the collection of visible light values and near infrared reflectance. Images collected from multispectral sensors are made of layers of each color band collected, (Blue, Green, Red, Red Edge, Near Infrared). Ratios of the reflectance values collected for each image can be applied to represent healthy vegetation vs. unhealthy vegetation. In this study various vegetative indices were used to investigate which was most sensitive to demonstrating differences among irrigation treatment levels for cotton. The Red-edge simple ratio of near-infrared to red wavelength was found to be most robust.