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Agronomy
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Remote Sensing Applications for Agriculture and Crop Modelling
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Remote Sensing Applications for Agriculture and Crop Modelling

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Innovative Cropping Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2019) | Viewed by 92404

Printed Edition Available!
A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Piero Toscano

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of BioEconomy (IBE), National Research Council (CNR), Via Caproni 8, 50145 Florence, Italy
Interests: remote sensing; precision agriculture; crop modeling; climate services
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Crop models and remote sensing techniques have been combined and applied in agriculture and crop estimation on local and regional scales, or worldwide, based on the simultaneous development of crop models and remote sensing. The literature shows that many new remote sensing sensors and valuable methods have been developed for the retrieval of canopy state variables and soil properties from remote sensing data for assimilating the retrieved variables into crop models. At the same time, remote sensing has been used in a staggering number of applications for agriculture. With this Special Issue we will compile state-of-the-art research that specifically addresses and provides new steps in expanding the scope of remote sensing and modelling for agricultural systems: Data assimilation in mechanistic crop growth models, local to global monitoring activities (e.g., crop identification and crop surface estimation, crop forecasting, crop health analysis and assessment of crop damage), and applications of remote sensing at the farm level (e.g., crop condition assessment and stress detection, identification of pests and disease infestation, retrieval of quantity and quality crop characteristics). Model–data assimilation and model–data fusion contributions are welcomed, as are papers describing new management applications of remote sensing in agriculture.

Dr. Piero Toscano
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • remote sensing
  • model
  • assimilation
  • fusion
  • yield
  • spatio-temporal scale
  • crop biophysical variables
  • crop status
  • crop identification and crop area
  • precision agriculture

Published Papers (19 papers)

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14 pages, 4788 KiB  
Article
Estimating the Protein Concentration in Rice Grain Using UAV Imagery Together with Agroclimatic Data
by Akira Hama, Kei Tanaka, Atsushi Mochizuki, Yasuo Tsuruoka and Akihiko Kondoh
Agronomy 2020, 10(3), 431; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10030431 - 21 Mar 2020
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 4063
Abstract
Global warming and climate change can potentially change not only rice production but also rice nutrient content. To adapt a rice-dependent country’s farming to the impacts of climate change, it is necessary to assess and monitor the potential risk that climate change poses [...] Read more.
Global warming and climate change can potentially change not only rice production but also rice nutrient content. To adapt a rice-dependent country’s farming to the impacts of climate change, it is necessary to assess and monitor the potential risk that climate change poses to agriculture. The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between rice grain protein content (GPC) and meteorological variables through unmanned aerial vehicle remote sensing and meteorological measurements. Furthermore, a method for GPC estimation that combines remote sensing data and meteorological variables was proposed. The conclusions of this study were as follows: (1) The accuracy and robustness of the GPC estimation model were improved by evaluating the nitrogen condition with the green normalized difference vegetation index at the heading stage (GNDVIheading) and evaluating photosynthesis with the average daily solar radiation during the grain-filling stage (SRgrain-filling). GPC estimation considering SRgrain-filling in addition to GNDVIheading was able to estimate the observed GPC under the different conditions. (2) Increased temperature from the transplantation date to the heading stage can affect increased GPC when extreme temperature does not cause the heat stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing Applications for Agriculture and Crop Modelling)
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16 pages, 7282 KiB  
Article
Integrating Modelling and Expert Knowledge for Evaluating Current and Future Scenario of Large Cardamom Crop in Eastern Nepal
by Sajana Maharjan, Faisal Mueen Qamer, Mir Matin, Govinda Joshi and Sanjeev Bhuchar
Agronomy 2019, 9(9), 481; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy9090481 - 26 Aug 2019
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3723
Abstract
Large Cardamom (Amomum subulatum Roxb.) is one of the most valuable cash crop of the Himalayan mountain region including Nepal, India, and Bhutan. Nepal is the world’s largest producer of the crop while the Taplejung district contributes a 30%–40% share in Nepal’s [...] Read more.
Large Cardamom (Amomum subulatum Roxb.) is one of the most valuable cash crop of the Himalayan mountain region including Nepal, India, and Bhutan. Nepal is the world’s largest producer of the crop while the Taplejung district contributes a 30%–40% share in Nepal’s total production. Large cardamom is an herbaceous perennial crop usually grown under the shade of the Uttis tree in very specialized bioclimatic conditions. In recent years, a decline in cardamom production has been observed which is being attributed to climate-related indicators. To understand the current dynamics of this under-canopy herbaceous crop distribution and its future potential under climate change, a combination of modelling, remote sensing, and expert knowledge is applied for the assessment. The results suggest that currently, Uttis tree cover is 10,735 ha in the district, while 50% (5198 ha) of this cover has a large cardamom crop underneath. When existing cultivation is compared with modelled suitable areas, it is observed that the cultivatable area has not yet reached its full potential. In a future climate scenario, the current habitat will be negatively affected, where mid elevations will remain stable while lower and higher elevation will become infeasible for the crop. Future changes are closely related to temperature and precipitation which are steadily changing in Nepal over time. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing Applications for Agriculture and Crop Modelling)
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18 pages, 2908 KiB  
Article
A Precision Agriculture Approach for Durum Wheat Yield Assessment Using Remote Sensing Data and Yield Mapping
by Piero Toscano, Annamaria Castrignanò, Salvatore Filippo Di Gennaro, Alessandro Vittorio Vonella, Domenico Ventrella and Alessandro Matese
Agronomy 2019, 9(8), 437; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy9080437 - 08 Aug 2019
Cited by 46 | Viewed by 7272
Abstract
The availability of big data in agriculture, enhanced by free remote sensing data and on-board sensor-based data, provides an opportunity to understand within-field and year-to-year variability and promote precision farming practices for site-specific management. This paper explores the performance in durum wheat yield [...] Read more.
The availability of big data in agriculture, enhanced by free remote sensing data and on-board sensor-based data, provides an opportunity to understand within-field and year-to-year variability and promote precision farming practices for site-specific management. This paper explores the performance in durum wheat yield estimation using different technologies and data processing methods. A state-of-the-art data cleaning technique has been applied to data from a yield monitoring system, giving a good agreement between yield monitoring data and hand sampled data. The potential use of Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8 images in precision agriculture for within-field production variability is then assessed, and the optimal time for remote sensing to relate to durum wheat yield is also explored. Comparison of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index(NDVI) with yield monitoring data reveals significant and highly positive linear relationships (r ranging from 0.54 to 0.74) explaining most within-field variability for all the images acquired between March and April. Remote sensing data analyzed with these methods could be used to assess durum wheat yield and above all to depict spatial variability in order to adopt site-specific management and improve productivity, save time and provide a potential alternative to traditional farming practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing Applications for Agriculture and Crop Modelling)
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13 pages, 2262 KiB  
Article
Integrating Sentinel-2 Imagery with AquaCrop for Dynamic Assessment of Tomato Water Requirements in Southern Italy
by Anna Dalla Marta, Giovanni Battista Chirico, Salvatore Falanga Bolognesi, Marco Mancini, Guido D’Urso, Simone Orlandini, Carlo De Michele and Filiberto Altobelli
Agronomy 2019, 9(7), 404; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy9070404 - 21 Jul 2019
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 5995
Abstract
A research study was conducted in an open field tomato crop in order to: (i) Evaluate the capability of Sentinel-2 imagery to assess tomato canopy growth and its crop water requirements; and (ii) explore the possibility to predict crop water requirements by assimilating [...] Read more.
A research study was conducted in an open field tomato crop in order to: (i) Evaluate the capability of Sentinel-2 imagery to assess tomato canopy growth and its crop water requirements; and (ii) explore the possibility to predict crop water requirements by assimilating the canopy cover estimated by Sentinel-2 imagery into AquaCrop model. The pilot area was in Campania, a region in the south west of Italy, characterized by a typical Mediterranean climate, where field campaigns were conducted in seasons 2017 and 2018 on processing tomato. Crop water use and irrigation requirement were estimated by means of three different methods: (i) The AquaCrop model; (ii) an irrigation advisory service based on Sentinel-2 imagery known as IRRISAT and (iii) assimilating the canopy cover estimated by Sentinel-2 imagery into AquaCrop model Sentinel-2 imagery proved to be effective for monitoring canopy growth and for predicting irrigation water requirements during mid-season stage of the crop, when the canopy is fully developed. Conversely, the integration of the Sentinel-2 imagery with a crop growth model can contribute to improve the irrigation water requirement predictions in the early and development stage of the crop, when the soil evaporation is not negligible with respect to the total evapotranspiration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing Applications for Agriculture and Crop Modelling)
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15 pages, 939 KiB  
Article
Discrimination of Tomato Plants (Solanum lycopersicum) Grown under Anaerobic Baffled Reactor Effluent, Nitrified Urine Concentrates and Commercial Hydroponic Fertilizer Regimes Using Simulated Sensor Spectral Settings
by Mbulisi Sibanda, Onisimo Mutanga, Lembe S. Magwaza, Timothy Dube, Shirly T. Magwaza, Alfred O. Odindo, Asanda Mditshwa and Paramu L. Mafongoya
Agronomy 2019, 9(7), 373; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy9070373 - 11 Jul 2019
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3791
Abstract
We assess the discriminative strength of three different satellite spectral settings (HyspIRI, the forthcoming Landsat 9 and Sentinel 2-MSI), in mapping tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Linnaeus) plants grown under hydroponic system, using human-excreta derived materials (HEDM), namely, anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) effluent and [...] Read more.
We assess the discriminative strength of three different satellite spectral settings (HyspIRI, the forthcoming Landsat 9 and Sentinel 2-MSI), in mapping tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Linnaeus) plants grown under hydroponic system, using human-excreta derived materials (HEDM), namely, anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR) effluent and nitrified urine concentrate (NUC) and commercial hydroponic fertilizer mix (CHFM) as main sources of nutrients. Simulated spectral settings of HyspIRI, Landsat 9 and Sentinel 2-MSI were resampled from spectrometric proximally sensed data. Discriminant analysis (DA) was applied in discriminating tomatoes grown under these different nutrient sources. Results showed that the simulated spectral settings of HyspIRI sensor better discriminate tomatoes grown under different fertilizer regimes when compared to Landsat 9 OLI and Sentinel-2 MSI spectral configurations. Using the DA algorithm, HyspIRI exhibited high overall accuracy (OA) of 0.99 and a kappa statistic of 0.99 whereas Landsat OLI and Sentinel-2 MSI exhibited OA of 0.94 and 0.95 and 0.79 and 0.85 kappa statistics, respectively. Simulated HyspIRI wavebands 710, 720, 690, 840, 1370 and 2110 nm, Sentinel 2-MSI bands 7 (783 nm), 6 (740 nm), 5 (705 nm) and 8a (865 nm) as well as Landsat bands 5 (865 nm), 6 (1610 nm), 7 (2200 nm) and 8 (590 nm), in order of importance, were selected as the most suitable bands for discriminating tomatoes grown under different fertilizer regimes. Overall, the performance of simulated HyspIRI, Landsat 9 OLI-2 and Sentinel-2 MSI spectral bands seem to bring new opportunities for crop monitoring. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing Applications for Agriculture and Crop Modelling)
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25 pages, 13238 KiB  
Article
Multi-Temporal Agricultural Land-Cover Mapping Using Single-Year and Multi-Year Models Based on Landsat Imagery and IACS Data
by Isaac Kyere, Thomas Astor, Rüdiger Graß and Michael Wachendorf
Agronomy 2019, 9(6), 309; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy9060309 - 12 Jun 2019
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4247
Abstract
The spatial distribution and location of crops are necessary information for agricultural planning. The free availability of optical satellites such as Landsat offers an opportunity to obtain this key information. Crop type mapping using satellite data is challenged by its reliance on ground [...] Read more.
The spatial distribution and location of crops are necessary information for agricultural planning. The free availability of optical satellites such as Landsat offers an opportunity to obtain this key information. Crop type mapping using satellite data is challenged by its reliance on ground truth data. The Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) data, submitted by farmers in Europe for subsidy payments, provide a solution to the issue of periodic field data collection. The present study tested the performance of the IACS data in the development of a generalized predictive crop type model, which is independent of the calibration year. Using the IACS polygons as objects, the mean spectral information based on four different vegetation indices and six Landsat bands were extracted for each crop type and used as predictors in a random forest model. Two modelling methods called single-year (SY) and multiple-year (MY) calibration were tested to find out their performance in the prediction of grassland, maize, summer, and winter crops. The independent validation of SY and MY resulted in a mean overall accuracy of 71.5% and 77.3%, respectively. The field-based approach of calibration used in this study dealt with the ‘salt and pepper’ effects of the pixel-based approach. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing Applications for Agriculture and Crop Modelling)
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15 pages, 3587 KiB  
Article
Performance Characterization of the UAV Chemical Application Based on CFD Simulation
by Hang Zhu, Hongze Li, Cui Zhang, Junxing Li and Huihui Zhang
Agronomy 2019, 9(6), 308; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy9060308 - 12 Jun 2019
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3494
Abstract
Battery-powered multi-rotor UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) have been employed as chemical applicators in agriculture for small fields in China. Major challenges in spraying include reducing the influence of environmental factors and appropriate chemical use. Therefore, the objective of this research was to obtain [...] Read more.
Battery-powered multi-rotor UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) have been employed as chemical applicators in agriculture for small fields in China. Major challenges in spraying include reducing the influence of environmental factors and appropriate chemical use. Therefore, the objective of this research was to obtain the law of droplet drift and deposition by CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics), a universal method to solve the fluid problem using a discretization mathematical method. DPM (Discrete Phase Model) was taken to simulate the motion of droplet particles since it is an appropriate way to simulate discrete phase in flow field and can track particle trajectory. The figure of deposition concentration and trace of droplet drift was obtained by controlling the variables of wind speed, pressure, and spray height. The droplet drifting models influenced by different factors were established by least square method after analysis of drift quantity to get the equation of drift quantity and safe distance. The relationship model, Yi(m), between three dependent variables, wind speed Xw(m s−1), pressure Xp(MPa) and spray height Xh(m), are listed as follows: The edge drift distance model was Y1 = 0.887Xw + 0.550Xp + 1.552Xh − 3.906 and the correlation coefficient (R2) was 0.837; the center drift distance model was Y2 = 0.167Xw + 0.085Xp + 0.308Xh − 0.667 and the correlation coefficient (R2) was 0.774; the overlap width model was Y3 = 0.692xw + 0.529xp + 1.469xh − 3.374 and the correlation coefficient (R2) was 0.795. For the three models, the coefficients of the three variables were all positive, indicating that the three factors were all positively correlated with edge drift distance, center drift distance, and overlap width. The results of this study can provide theoretical support for improving the spray quality of UAV and reducing the drift of droplets. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing Applications for Agriculture and Crop Modelling)
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23 pages, 1945 KiB  
Article
Combined Use of Low-Cost Remote Sensing Techniques and δ13C to Assess Bread Wheat Grain Yield under Different Water and Nitrogen Conditions
by Salima Yousfi, Adrian Gracia-Romero, Nassim Kellas, Mohamed Kaddour, Ahmed Chadouli, Mohamed Karrou, José Luis Araus and Maria Dolores Serret
Agronomy 2019, 9(6), 285; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy9060285 - 31 May 2019
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3077
Abstract
Vegetation indices and canopy temperature are the most usual remote sensing approaches to assess cereal performance. Understanding the relationships of these parameters and yield may help design more efficient strategies to monitor crop performance. We present an evaluation of vegetation indices (derived from [...] Read more.
Vegetation indices and canopy temperature are the most usual remote sensing approaches to assess cereal performance. Understanding the relationships of these parameters and yield may help design more efficient strategies to monitor crop performance. We present an evaluation of vegetation indices (derived from RGB images and multispectral data) and water status traits (through the canopy temperature, stomatal conductance and carbon isotopic composition) measured during the reproductive stage for genotype phenotyping in a study of four wheat genotypes growing under different water and nitrogen regimes in north Algeria. Differences among the cultivars were reported through the vegetation indices, but not with the water status traits. Both approximations correlated significantly with grain yield (GY), reporting stronger correlations under support irrigation and N-fertilization than the rainfed or the no N-fertilization conditions. For N-fertilized trials (irrigated or rainfed) water status parameters were the main factors predicting relative GY performance, while in the absence of N-fertilization, the green canopy area (assessed through GGA) was the main factor negatively correlated with GY. Regression models for GY estimation were generated using data from three consecutive growing seasons. The results highlighted the usefulness of vegetation indices derived from RGB images predicting GY. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing Applications for Agriculture and Crop Modelling)
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12 pages, 2439 KiB  
Article
Sentinel 2-Based Nitrogen VRT Fertilization in Wheat: Comparison between Traditional and Simple Precision Practices
by Marco Vizzari, Francesco Santaga and Paolo Benincasa
Agronomy 2019, 9(6), 278; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy9060278 - 30 May 2019
Cited by 53 | Viewed by 6553
Abstract
This study aimed to compare standard and precision nitrogen (N) fertilization with variable rate technology (VRT) in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) by combining data of NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) from the Sentinel 2 satellite, grain yield mapping, and protein content. [...] Read more.
This study aimed to compare standard and precision nitrogen (N) fertilization with variable rate technology (VRT) in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) by combining data of NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) from the Sentinel 2 satellite, grain yield mapping, and protein content. Precision N rates were calculated using simple linear models that can be easily used by non-specialists of precision agriculture, starting from widely available Sentinel 2 NDVI data. To remove the effects of not measured or unknown factors, the study area of about 14 hectares, located in Central Italy, was divided into 168 experimental units laid down in a randomized design. The first fertilization rate was the same for all experimental units (30 kg N ha−1). The second one was varied according to three different treatments: 1) a standard rate of 120 kg N ha−1 calculated by a common N balance; 2) a variable rate (60–120 kg N ha−1) calculated from NDVI using a linear model where the maximum rate was equal to the standard rate (Var-N-low); 3) a variable rate (90–150 kg N ha−1) calculated from NDVI using a linear model where the mean rate was equal to the standard rate (Var-N-high). Results indicate that differences between treatments in crop vegetation index, grain yield, and protein content were negligible and generally not significant. This evidence suggests that a low-N management approach, based on simple linear NDVI models and VRT, may considerably reduce the economic and environmental impact of N fertilization in winter wheat. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing Applications for Agriculture and Crop Modelling)
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19 pages, 2694 KiB  
Article
Assimilation of Sentinel-2 Leaf Area Index Data into a Physically-Based Crop Growth Model for Yield Estimation
by Francesco Novelli, Heide Spiegel, Taru Sandén and Francesco Vuolo
Agronomy 2019, 9(5), 255; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy9050255 - 21 May 2019
Cited by 46 | Viewed by 7705
Abstract
Remote sensing data, crop growth models, and optimization routines constitute a toolset that can be used together to map crop yield over large areas when access to field data is limited. In this study, Leaf Area Index (LAI) data from the Copernicus Sentinel-2 [...] Read more.
Remote sensing data, crop growth models, and optimization routines constitute a toolset that can be used together to map crop yield over large areas when access to field data is limited. In this study, Leaf Area Index (LAI) data from the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite were combined with the Environmental Policy Integrated Climate (EPIC) model to estimate crop yield using a re-calibration data assimilation approach. The experiment was implemented for a winter wheat crop during two growing seasons (2016 and 2017) under four different fertilization management strategies. A number of field measurements were conducted spanning from LAI to biomass and crop yields. LAI showed a good correlation between the Sentinel-2 estimates and the ground measurements using non-destructive method. A correlating fit between satellite LAI curves and EPIC modelled LAI curves was also observed. The assimilation of LAI in EPIC provided an improvement in yield estimation in both years even though in 2017 strong underestimations were observed. The diverging results obtained in the two years indicated that the assimilation framework has to be tested under different environmental conditions before being applied on a larger scale with limited field data. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing Applications for Agriculture and Crop Modelling)
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13 pages, 2746 KiB  
Article
Detection of Spatial and Temporal Variability of Wheat Cultivars by High-Resolution Vegetation Indices
by Stefano Marino and Arturo Alvino
Agronomy 2019, 9(5), 226; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy9050226 - 05 May 2019
Cited by 29 | Viewed by 4103
Abstract
An on-farm research study was carried out on two small-plots cultivated with two cultivars of durum wheat (Odisseo and Ariosto). The paper presents a theoretical approach for investigating frequency vegetation indices (VIs) in different areas of the experimental plot for early detection of [...] Read more.
An on-farm research study was carried out on two small-plots cultivated with two cultivars of durum wheat (Odisseo and Ariosto). The paper presents a theoretical approach for investigating frequency vegetation indices (VIs) in different areas of the experimental plot for early detection of agronomic spatial variability. Four flights were carried out with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to calculate high-resolution normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and optimized soil-adjusted vegetation index (OSAVI) images. Ground agronomic data (biomass, leaf area index (LAI), spikes, plant height, and yield) have been linked to the vegetation indices (VIs) at different growth stages. Regression coefficients of all samplings data were highly significant for both the cultivars and VIs at anthesis and tillering stage. At harvest, the whole plot (W) data were analyzed and compared with two sub-areas characterized by high agronomic performance (H) yield 20% higher than the whole plot, and low performances (L), about 20% lower of yield related to the whole plot). The whole plot and two sub-areas were analyzed backward in time comparing the VIs frequency curves. At anthesis, more than 75% of the surface of H sub-areas showed a VIs value higher than the L sub-plot. The differences were evident also at the tillering and seedling stages, when the 75% (third percentile) of VIs H data was over the 50% (second percentile) of the W curve and over the 25% (first percentile) of L sub-plot. The use of high-resolution images for analyzing the frequency value of VIs in different areas can be a useful approach for the detection of agronomic constraints for precision agriculture purposes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing Applications for Agriculture and Crop Modelling)
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17 pages, 2554 KiB  
Article
Towards Predictive Modeling of Sorghum Biomass Yields Using Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation Derived from Sentinel-2 Satellite Imagery and Supervised Machine Learning Techniques
by Ephrem Habyarimana, Isabelle Piccard, Marcello Catellani, Paolo De Franceschi and Michela Dall’Agata
Agronomy 2019, 9(4), 203; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy9040203 - 20 Apr 2019
Cited by 36 | Viewed by 4972
Abstract
Sorghum crop is grown under tropical and temperate latitudes for several purposes including production of health promoting food from the kernel and forage and biofuels from aboveground biomass. One of the concerns of policy-makers and sorghum growers is to cost-effectively predict biomass yields [...] Read more.
Sorghum crop is grown under tropical and temperate latitudes for several purposes including production of health promoting food from the kernel and forage and biofuels from aboveground biomass. One of the concerns of policy-makers and sorghum growers is to cost-effectively predict biomass yields early during the cropping season to improve biomass and biofuel management. The objective of this study was to investigate if Sentinel-2 satellite images could be used to predict within-season biomass sorghum yields in the Mediterranean region. Thirteen machine learning algorithms were tested on fortnightly Sentinel-2A and Sentinel-2B estimates of the fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (fAPAR) in combination with in situ aboveground biomass yields from demonstrative fields in Italy. A gradient boosting algorithm implementing the xgbtree method was the best predictive model as it was satisfactorily implemented anywhere from May to July. The best prediction time was the month of May followed by May–June and May–July. To the best of our knowledge, this work represents the first time Sentinel-2-derived fAPAR is used in sorghum biomass predictive modeling. The results from this study will help farmers improve their sorghum biomass business operations and policy-makers and extension services improve energy planning and avoid energy-related crises. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing Applications for Agriculture and Crop Modelling)
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17 pages, 2744 KiB  
Article
Development and Evaluation of a Leaf Disease Damage Extension in Cropsim-CERES Wheat
by Georg Röll, William D. Batchelor, Ana Carolina Castro, María Rosa Simón and Simone Graeff-Hönninger
Agronomy 2019, 9(3), 120; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy9030120 - 02 Mar 2019
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3803
Abstract
Developing disease models to simulate and analyse yield losses for various pathogens is a challenge for the crop modelling community. In this study, we developed and tested a simple method to simulate septoria tritici blotch (STB) in the Cropsim-CERES Wheat model studying the [...] Read more.
Developing disease models to simulate and analyse yield losses for various pathogens is a challenge for the crop modelling community. In this study, we developed and tested a simple method to simulate septoria tritici blotch (STB) in the Cropsim-CERES Wheat model studying the impacts of damage on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield. A model extension was developed by adding a pest damage module to the existing wheat model. The module simulates the impact of daily damage on photosynthesis and leaf area index. The approach was tested on a two-year dataset from Argentina with different wheat cultivars. The accuracy of the simulated yield and leaf area index (LAI) was improved to a great extent. The Root mean squared error (RMSE) values for yield (1144 kg ha−1) and LAI (1.19 m2 m−2) were reduced by half (499 kg ha−1) for yield and LAI (0.69 m2 m−2). In addition, a sensitivity analysis of different disease progress curves on leaf area index and yield was performed using a dataset from Germany. The sensitivity analysis demonstrated the ability of the model to reduce yield accurately in an exponential relationship with increasing infection levels (0–70%). The extended model is suitable for site specific simulations, coupled with for example, available remote sensing data on STB infection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing Applications for Agriculture and Crop Modelling)
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17 pages, 2053 KiB  
Article
Development of Chlorophyll-Meter-Index-Based Dynamic Models for Evaluation of High-Yield Japonica Rice Production in Yangtze River Reaches
by Ke Zhang, Xiaojun Liu, Syed Tahir Ata-Ul-Karim, Jingshan Lu, Brian Krienke, Songyang Li, Qiang Cao, Yan Zhu, Weixing Cao and Yongchao Tian
Agronomy 2019, 9(2), 106; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy9020106 - 22 Feb 2019
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 4202
Abstract
Accurate estimation of the nitrogen (N) spatial distribution of rice (Oryza sativa L.) is imperative when it is sought to maintain regional and global carbon balances. We systematically evaluated the normalized differences of the soil and plant analysis development (SPAD) index (the [...] Read more.
Accurate estimation of the nitrogen (N) spatial distribution of rice (Oryza sativa L.) is imperative when it is sought to maintain regional and global carbon balances. We systematically evaluated the normalized differences of the soil and plant analysis development (SPAD) index (the normalized difference SPAD indexes, NDSIs) between the upper (the first and second leaves from the top), and lower (the third and fourth leaves from the top) leaves of Japonica rice. Four multi-location, multi-N rate (0–390 kg ha−1) field experiments were conducted using seven Japonica rice cultivars (9915, 27123, Wuxiangjing14, Wunyunjing19, Wunyunjing24, Liangyou9, and Yongyou8). Growth analyses were performed at different growth stages ranging from tillering (TI) to the ripening period (RP). We measured leaf N concentration (LNC), the N nutrition index (NNI), the NDSI, and rice grain yield at maturity. The relationships among the NDSI, LNC, and NNI at different growth stages showed that the NDSI values of the third and fourth fully expanded leaves more reliably reflected the N nutritional status than those of the first and second fully expanded leaves (LNC: NDSIL3,4, R2 > 0.81; NDSIothers, 0.77 > R2 > 0.06; NNI: NDSIL3,4, R2 > 0.83; NDSIothers, 0.76 > R2 > 0.07; all p < 0.01). Two new diagnostic models based on the NDSIL3,4 (from the tillering to the ripening period) can be used for effective diagnosis of the LNC and NNI, which exhibited reasonable distributions of residuals (LNC: relative root mean square error (RRMSE) = 0.0683; NNI: RRMSE = 0.0688; p < 0.01). The relationship between grain yield, predicted yield, and NDSIL3,4 were established during critical growth stages (from the stem elongation to the heading stages; R2 = 0.53, p < 0.01, RRMSE = 0.106). An NDSIL3,4 high-yield change curve was drawn to describe critical NDSIL3,4 values for a high-yield target (10.28 t ha−1). Furthermore, dynamic-critical curve models based on the NDSIL3,4 allowed a precise description of rice N status, facilitating the timing of fertilization decisions to optimize yields in the intensive rice cropping systems of eastern China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing Applications for Agriculture and Crop Modelling)
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18 pages, 6661 KiB  
Article
Effect of Large-Scale Cultivated Land Expansion on the Balance of Soil Carbon and Nitrogen in the Tarim Basin
by Erqi Xu, Hongqi Zhang and Yongmei Xu
Agronomy 2019, 9(2), 86; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy9020086 - 14 Feb 2019
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 5041
Abstract
Land reclamation influences the soil carbon and nitrogen cycling, but its scale and time effects on the balance of soil carbon and nitrogen are still uncertain. Taking the Tarim Basin as the study area, the impact of land reclamation on the soil organic [...] Read more.
Land reclamation influences the soil carbon and nitrogen cycling, but its scale and time effects on the balance of soil carbon and nitrogen are still uncertain. Taking the Tarim Basin as the study area, the impact of land reclamation on the soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratio was explored by the multiple temporal changes of land use and soil samples. Remote sensing detected that cropland nearly doubled in area from 1978 to 2015. Spatial analysis techniques were used to identify land changes, including the prior land uses and cultivation ages. Using land reclamation history information, a specially designed soil sampling was conducted in 2015 and compared to soil properties in ca. 1978. Results found a decoupling characteristic between the C:N ratio and SOC or TN, indicating that changes in SOC and TN do not correspond directly to changes in the C:N ratio. The land reclamation history coupled with the baseline effect has opposite impacts on the temporal rates of change in SOC, TN and C:N ratios. SOC and TN decreased during the initial stage of conversion to cropland and subsequently recovered with increasing cultivation time. By contrast, the C:N ratio for soils derived from grassland increased at the initial stage but the increase declined when cultivated longer, and the C:N ratio decreased for soils derived from forest and fluctuated with the cultivation time. Lower C:N ratios than the global average and its decreasing trend with increasing reclamation age were found in newly reclaimed croplands from grasslands. Sustainable agricultural management practices are suggested to enhance the accumulation of soil carbon and nitrogen, as well as to increase the C:N ratio to match the nitrogen deposition to a larger carbon sequestration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing Applications for Agriculture and Crop Modelling)
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15 pages, 2174 KiB  
Article
Mapping of Olive Trees Using Pansharpened QuickBird Images: An Evaluation of Pixel- and Object-Based Analyses
by Isabel Luisa Castillejo-González
Agronomy 2018, 8(12), 288; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy8120288 - 02 Dec 2018
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3719
Abstract
This study sought to verify whether remote sensing offers the ability to efficiently delineate olive tree canopies using QuickBird (QB) satellite imagery. This paper compares four classification algorithms performed in pixel- and object-based analyses. To increase the spectral and spatial resolution of the [...] Read more.
This study sought to verify whether remote sensing offers the ability to efficiently delineate olive tree canopies using QuickBird (QB) satellite imagery. This paper compares four classification algorithms performed in pixel- and object-based analyses. To increase the spectral and spatial resolution of the standard QB image, three different pansharpened images were obtained based on variations in the weight of the red and near infrared bands. The results showed slight differences between classifiers. Maximum Likelihood algorithm yielded the highest results in pixel-based classifications with an average overall accuracy (OA) of 94.2%. In object-based analyses, Maximum Likelihood and Decision Tree classifiers offered the highest precisions with average OA of 95.3% and 96.6%, respectively. Between pixel- and object-based analyses no clear difference was observed, showing an increase of average OA values of approximately 1% for all classifiers except Decision Tree, which improved up to 4.5%. The alteration of the weight of different bands in the pansharpen process exhibited satisfactory results with a general performance improvement of up to 9% and 11% in pixel- and object-based analyses, respectively. Thus, object-based analyses with the DT algorithm and the pansharpened imagery with the near-infrared band altered would be highly recommended to obtain accurate maps for site-specific management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing Applications for Agriculture and Crop Modelling)
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21 pages, 3224 KiB  
Article
Workflow to Establish Time-Specific Zones in Precision Agriculture by Spatiotemporal Integration of Plant and Soil Sensing Data
by Elia Scudiero, Pietro Teatini, Gabriele Manoli, Federica Braga, Todd H. Skaggs and Francesco Morari
Agronomy 2018, 8(11), 253; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy8110253 - 07 Nov 2018
Cited by 31 | Viewed by 4980
Abstract
Management zones (MZs) are used in precision agriculture to diversify agronomic management across a field. According to current common practices, MZs are often spatially static: they are developed once and used thereafter. However, the soil–plant relationship often varies over time and space, decreasing [...] Read more.
Management zones (MZs) are used in precision agriculture to diversify agronomic management across a field. According to current common practices, MZs are often spatially static: they are developed once and used thereafter. However, the soil–plant relationship often varies over time and space, decreasing the efficiency of static MZ designs. Therefore, we propose a novel workflow for time-specific MZ delineation based on integration of plant and soil sensing data. The workflow includes four steps: (1) geospatial sensor measurements are used to describe soil spatial variability and in-season plant growth status; (2) moving-window regression modelling is used to characterize the sub-field changes of the soil–plant relationship; (3) soil information and sub-field indicator(s) of the soil–plant relationship (i.e., the local regression slope coefficient[s]) are used to delineate time-specific MZs using fuzzy cluster analysis; and (4) MZ delineation is evaluated and interpreted. We illustrate the workflow with an idealized, yet realistic, example using synthetic data and with an experimental example from a 21-ha maize field in Italy using two years of maize growth, soil apparent electrical conductivity and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data. In both examples, the MZs were characterized by unique combinations of soil properties and soil–plant relationships. The proposed approach provides an opportunity to address the spatiotemporal nature of changes in crop genetics × environment × management interactions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing Applications for Agriculture and Crop Modelling)
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21 pages, 5420 KiB  
Article
Prediction of Sugarcane Yield Based on NDVI and Concentration of Leaf-Tissue Nutrients in Fields Managed with Straw Removal
by Izaias Pinheiro Lisboa, Júnior Melo Damian, Maurício Roberto Cherubin, Pedro Paulo Silva Barros, Peterson Ricardo Fiorio, Carlos Clemente Cerri and Carlos Eduardo Pellegrino Cerri
Agronomy 2018, 8(9), 196; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy8090196 - 19 Sep 2018
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 8022
Abstract
The total or partial removal of sugarcane (Saccharum spp. L.) straw for bioenergy production may deplete soil quality and consequently affect negatively crop yield. Plants with lower yield potential may present lower concentration of leaf-tissue nutrients, which in turn changes light reflectance [...] Read more.
The total or partial removal of sugarcane (Saccharum spp. L.) straw for bioenergy production may deplete soil quality and consequently affect negatively crop yield. Plants with lower yield potential may present lower concentration of leaf-tissue nutrients, which in turn changes light reflectance of canopy in different wavelengths. Therefore, vegetation indexes, such as the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) associated with concentration of leaf-tissue nutrients could be a useful tool for monitoring potential sugarcane yield changes under straw management. Two sites in São Paulo state, Brazil were utilized to evaluate the potential of NDVI for monitoring sugarcane yield changes imposed by different straw removal rates. The treatments were established with 0%, 25%, 50%, and 100% straw removal. The data used for the NDVI calculation was obtained using satellite images (CBERS-4) and hyperspectral sensor (FieldSpec Spectroradiometer, Malvern Panalytical, Almelo, Netherlands). Besides sugarcane yield, the concentration of the leaf-tissue nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, and S) were also determined. The NDVI efficiently predicted sugarcane yield under different rates of straw removal, with the highest performance achieved with NDVI derived from satellite images than hyperspectral sensor. In addition, leaf-tissue N and P concentrations were also important parameters to compose the prediction models of sugarcane yield. A prediction model approach based on data of NDVI and leaf-tissue nutrient concentrations may help the Brazilian sugarcane sector to monitor crop yield changes in areas intensively managed for bioenergy production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing Applications for Agriculture and Crop Modelling)
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1 pages, 158 KiB  
Erratum
Erratum: Novelli, F., et al. Assimilation of Sentinel-2 Leaf Area Index Data into a Physically-Based Crop Growth Model for Yield Estimation. Agronomy 2019, 9, 255
by Agronomy Editorial Office
Agronomy 2019, 9(7), 398; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy9070398 - 18 Jul 2019
Viewed by 2110
Abstract
The authors wish to correct the following erratum in this paper [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing Applications for Agriculture and Crop Modelling)
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