Precision Cropping by Remotely Sensed Prorotype Plots and Calibration in the Complex Domain
Authors: Anderson Gerald L. , Peleg Kalman 
Published: December 2021

This research report describes a methodology whereby multi-spectral and hyperspectral imagery from remote sensing, is used for deriving predicted field maps of selected plant growth attributes which are required for precision cropping. A major task in precision cropping is to establish areas of the field that differ from the rest of the field and share a common characteristic. Yield distribution f maps can be prepared by yield monitors, which are available for some harvester types. Other field attributes of interest in precision cropping, e.g. soil properties, leaf Nitrate, biomass etc. are obtained by manual sampling of the filed in a grid pattern. Maps of various field attributes are then prepared from these samples by the "Inverse Distance" interpolation method or by Kriging. An improved interpolation method was developed which is based on minimizing the overall curvature of the resulting map. Such maps are the ground truth reference, used for training the algorithm that generates the predicted field maps from remote sensing imagery. Both the reference and the predicted maps are stratified into "Prototype Plots", e.g. 15xl5 blocks of 2m pixels whereby the block size is 30x30m. This averaging reduces the datasets to manageable size and significantly improves the typically poor repeatability of remote sensing imaging systems. In the first two years of the project we used the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), for generating predicted yield maps of sugar beets and com. The NDVI was computed from image cubes of three spectral bands, generated by an optically filtered three camera video imaging system. A two dimensional FFT based regression model Y=f(X), was used wherein Y was the reference map and X=NDVI was the predictor. The FFT regression method applies the "Wavelet Based", "Pixel Block" and "Image Rotation" transforms to the reference and remote images, prior to the Fast - Fourier Transform (FFT) Regression method with the "Phase Lock" option. A complex domain based map Yfft is derived by least squares minimization between the amplitude matrices of X and Y, via the 2D FFT. For one time predictions, the phase matrix of Y is combined with the amplitude matrix ofYfft, whereby an improved predicted map Yplock is formed. Usually, the residuals of Y plock versus Y are about half of the values of Yfft versus Y. For long term predictions, the phase matrix of a "field mask" is combined with the amplitude matrices of the reference image Y and the predicted image Yfft. The field mask is a binary image of a pre-selected region of interest in X and Y. The resultant maps Ypref and Ypred aremodified versions of Y and Yfft respectively. The residuals of Ypred versus Ypref are even lower than the residuals of Yplock versus Y. The maps, Ypref and Ypred represent a close consensus of two independent imaging methods which "view" the same target. In the last two years of the project our remote sensing capability was expanded by addition of a CASI II airborne hyperspectral imaging system and an ASD hyperspectral radiometer. Unfortunately, the cross-noice and poor repeatability problem we had in multi-spectral imaging was exasperated in hyperspectral imaging. We have been able to overcome this problem by over-flying each field twice in rapid succession and developing the Repeatability Index (RI). The RI quantifies the repeatability of each spectral band in the hyperspectral image cube. Thereby, it is possible to select the bands of higher repeatability for inclusion in the prediction model while bands of low repeatability are excluded. Further segregation of high and low repeatability bands takes place in the prediction model algorithm, which is based on a combination of a "Genetic Algorithm" and Partial Least Squares", (PLS-GA). In summary, modus operandi was developed, for deriving important plant growth attribute maps (yield, leaf nitrate, biomass and sugar percent in beets), from remote sensing imagery, with sufficient accuracy for precision cropping applications. This achievement is remarkable, given the inherently high cross-noice between the reference and remote imagery as well as the highly non-repeatable nature of remote sensing systems. The above methodologies may be readily adopted by commercial companies, which specialize in proving remotely sensed data to farmers.