Location: Sustainable Agricultural Systems Laboratory
Project Number: 8042-30400-001-070-I
Project Type: Interagency Reimbursable Agreement
Start Date: Nov 1, 2024
End Date: Oct 31, 2026
Objective:
Develop models for vegetation mapping with satellites.
Approach:
1. Use field and laboratory based approaches to calibrating satellite imagery with destructive plant samples.
2. Use low-cost camera systems for calibrating satellite imagery.
3. Collaborate on data collection, analysis, and manuscript preparation.
Specifically:
Use a hybrid modeling strategy that links data from satellites with soil and weather variables to map the growth and development of monoculture cover crops. Spectral indices will be generated from clear Harmonized Landsat-Sentinel imagery daily throughout the cover crop growth cycle using linear interpolation of values. Site-specific daily weather data (air temperature and short-wave radiation) will be imported with an existing weather Application Programming Interface. Daily growing degree days and photosynthetically active radiation per day will be estimated. Sub-field level cover crop biomass will be estimated by regressing against cumulative values of the product of daily spectral indices, growing degree days, and photosynthetically active radiation from cover crop planting until termination. Cover crop biomass will be collected at various growth stages to provide ground truthing to the methodology.