Using Satellite Imagery for Variable Rate MapsCurtis Dick

What Satellite Imagery is useful for

•Designating Management Zones•Building Variable Rate Maps•Helping Identify Problems in Growing

fields•Help identifying where to soil sample•Measuring Biomass

Satellite Imagery Technology•Agri-ImiGIS

▫Started in 1994 in North Dakota by providing satellite images for a variety of farming applications

▫Currently provide 2 types of images (both have NDVI capabilities)

▫Main use is for building management zones▫Also provide products that allows producers to

have access to the system via an app▫The products allow for soil sampling and other

practices to be tied into the imagery into a browser base

Landsat vs. Rapid EyeLandsat Rapid Eye

Major Uses in Oklahoma• A very successful use in

Oklahoma has been with variable rate Growth Regulator in Cotton Production

• The Images allow a producer or consultant to see the differences in a growing field

• Landsat is updated every 16 days no matter if there is cloud cover or not

• Rapid Eye takes 4-5 pictures during a growing season and will stay in an area until it gets a clear picture

Hard to tell in a growing field the amount of an input certain plants need

Drones

•Around 140 different type of drones available for use

•Prices range from $100,000 to $12,800

•As of right now primary purpose is for surveillance

senseFly• Switzerland based

company that produces two types of Drones▫ Swinglet CAM▫ eBee

Are Drones Useful? Advantages Disadvantages

• Are very easy to operate

• Does not matter if it is cloudy

• Can have an image of a field in 1 day

• Do not fly well in winds over 25 mph

• Are somewhat costly

• If drones are being used commercially they can not be flown over 400 ft elevation in U.S.

Using Drones for Mapping NDVI Vs Green Seeker

• Swinglet Cam • http://farmindustrynews.c

om/crop-protection/drone-plane-your-future-0

• Green Seeker

•

Review

•Best use of satellite imagery seems to be to measure biomass

•Satellite imagery is a useful tool in developing management zones, but should probably not be the only information the zones are based off of.

•Drones for commercial purposes must be flown below 400ft.

Questions?