UAS in Precision Agriculture

John Nowatzki Extension Ag Machine Systems Specialist

North Dakota State University

• NDSU UAS Activities • NDSU UAS Applications in Agriculture • Digital Data Privacy in Agriculture • Current Applications • Future Applications and Needs

UAS in Precision Agriculture

Precision Agriculture & Data Management

• Computer Software

• Commercial Services

• Big Data

Project Partners • Department of Commerce – Research ND

• 2014 – Small UAS - CREC • 2015 – Small UAS - Statewide • 2016 – Large UAS; Weed & Disease ID, IDC

• Elbit Systems of America • AeroVironment • IntelinAir • LW Survey • Sentera • ND Agricultural Experiment Station • ND Soybean Council • ND Corn Council • NDSU Ozbun Fund

NDSU UAS Research Partners

UAS Sensors

Cameras • ICI 9640 S Thermal camera • Large area scanning EO/IR/NIR camera • Sony NEX-5R camera with NIR • Tetracam ADC • Sentera dual sensor (4 band) • Sentera Quad sensor (6 band) • MicaSense Rededge • Ximera Hyperspectral sensor • Rikola Hyperspectral sensor

Sentera

Sony NEX-5R

Elbit EO/IR

Thermal

Hyperspectral

Rikola

ICI 9640

Ximea

UAS Platforms

Trimble UX5

3DR RTF X8

RF70 - Troybuilt

Hermes 450

Altavian

Phantom 3

Imagery in May, June, July and August • Color, Infrared Sensor • 4,000, 6,000 and 8,000 ft Small UAS, Satellite, Ground and Yield Data All Imagery Securely Stored on NDSU Computers

Description

Objectives Uses for Crop Management Economic Value to Producers

Project Location

Hermes 450 UAS

First Large UAS Civilian Flight in North Dakota

Landing the Hermes 450

View from CAP Chase Plane

Data Management

Large UAS – Entire Corridor Each Date

Total Quantity of Imagery Collected during the Project: 10.5 TB Plus Small UAS Imagery

Plus Image Analyses

Date May 23-27

June 20-24 July 18-22

August 15-19

Altitude 4,000’ 6,000’ 8,000’

6,000’ 8,000’

6,000’ 8,000’

4,000’ 8,000’

Image Quantity Total Size

2.0 TB 1.5 TB 0.5 TB 4.0 TB

1.5 TB 0.5 TB 2.0 TB

1.5 TB 0.5 TB 2.0 TB

2.0 TB 0.5 TB 2.5 TB

John Nowatzki Alyssa Scheve Angie Johnson Sreekala Bajwa

David Roberts David Saxowsky Hans Kandel Joel Ransom

Key Personnel

NDSU Extension Role • Facilitate • Collaborate • Educate

May Imagery: 4,000’ – 6,000’ – 8,000’ 4,000’

6,000’

8,000’

Detailed Imagery - 50,000 Acres/Hour

Corn Imagery: May – June - July

May

June

July

Precision Management Throughout the Season

~ 40 Acres Imagery 4,000’ RGB Image 4 cm Pixel Size

~ 200’x200’ Imagery 4,000’ RGB Image 4 cm Pixel Size

Digital Elevation Model Using Large UAV

Hail Damage: Corn from 4,000’

17 Acres out of 67 acres

Image Quality – 8,000’

Crop Management Applications

1

2

3

• NDVI Values

Analyses from Imagery: Zone Map

Analyses from Imagery Sugarbeet

Corn

R2 = .94

R2 = .92

Web Application for Stand Count Analyses from UAS Imagery

Identifying Herbicide-resistant Weeds

Sugarbeet Disease Detection with UAS

28

AIR-AGFO, 2015

Rhizoctonia solani infestation Cercospora infestation

Analyses from Imagery: Cattle from 8,000’

What Has Gone Well • Collaboration: NDSU – NP UAS Test Site – Elbit - CAP • FAA and FCC • NDSU County Extension Service • Hillsboro Airport Authority • Image Quality • Objectives:

• Imagery from 4,000’ – 6,000’ – 8,000’ • Transfer and Storage of Imagery at NDSU • Analyses

• Nitrogen Management • Disease Identification • Hail Damage • Yield Correlation

Future of UAS in Agriculture

Small UAS Plant Stand Count Monitoring and Scouting Identification of Management Issues

Large UAS In-season Fertility Precision Application Maps Yield Predictions Insect and Disease Movements Elevation Data

One More Layer for Big Data Precision Agriculture

Questions - Comments

Office 701-231-8213 Cell 701-261-9842

John.Nowatzki@ndsu.edu

http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/agmachinery