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Title: Ground-Based Sensing System for Weed Mapping in Cotton

Author
item RUIXIU, SUI - TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
item THOMASSON, J - TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY
item Hanks, James
item WOOTEN, JAMES - MSU

Submitted to: Computers and Electronics in Agriculture
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/14/2007
Publication Date: 6/2/2007
Citation: Ruixiu, S., Thomasson, J.A., Hanks, J.E., Wooten, J. 2007. Ground-Based Sensing System for Weed Mapping in Cotton. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture. 60( 1):31-38. doi:10.1016/j.compag.2007.06.002

Interpretive Summary: A weed mapping system was developed and field evaluated. The system included WeedSeeker® PhD600 sensor modules for weed detection, a GPS receiver for measuring location, and a data acquisition and processing unit to collect and process weed data and spatial information. The weed mapping system was evaluated in a commercial cotton field over two years. Results of the field tests were that the system was reliable – no operational problems occurred – and easy to use. Weed intensity data that were collected with the system were analyzed along with remote-sensing and crop growth data. It was observed that both weeds between rows and crop canopy had significant relationships with remotely sensed images. Weed stress should be taken into consideration when remotely sensed reflectance data from a field are used to predict crop growth and development. This weed mapping system had provided useful tool for the remote sensing research project in collecting ground truth data, and it also has a potential to be used for precision agriculture.

Technical Abstract: A ground-based weed mapping system was developed to measure weed intensity and distribution in a cotton field. The weed mapping system includes WeedSeeker® PhD600 sensor modules to indicate the presence of weeds between rows, a GPS receiver to provide spatial information, and a data acquisition and processing unit to collect and process the weed data and spatial information. The PhD600 sensor module is a commercial product used as a component in this weed mapping system. A prototype of the weed mapping system was field evaluated for two years. The system performed well during the field evaluation. Weed intensity in the field was also estimated based on remotely sensed imagery, and these estimates were used to create weed maps. Development of the weed mapping system and its evaluation results are reported in this article.