Remote sensing for agricultural applications: A meta-review

In the last 10 years, development in robotics, computer vision, and sensor technology has provided new spectral remote sensing tools to capture unprecedented ultra-high spatial and high spectral resolution with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This development has led to a revolution in geospatial data collection in which not only few specialist data providers collect and deliver remotely sensed data, but a whole diverse community is potentially able to gather geospatial data that fit their needs. However, the diversification of sensing systems and user applications challenges the common application of good practice procedures that ensure the quality of the data. This challenge can only be met by establishing and communicating common procedures that have had demonstrated success in scientific experiments and operational demonstrations. In this review, we evaluate the state-of-the-art methods in UAV spectral remote sensing and discuss sensor technology, measurement procedures, geometric processing, and radiometric calibration based on the literature and more than a decade of experimentation. We follow the 'journey' of the reflected energy from the particle in the environment to its representation as a pixel in a 2D or 2.5D map, or 3D spectral point cloud. Additionally, we reflect on the current revolution in remote sensing, and identify trends, potential opportunities, and limitations.

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Quantitative Remote Sensing at Ultra-High Resolution with UAV Spectroscopy: A Review of Sensor Technology, Measurement Procedures, and Data Correction Workflows

Remote sensing is a useful tool for monitoring spatio-temporal variations of crop morphological and physiological status and supporting practices in precision farming. In comparison with multispectral imaging, hyperspectral imaging is a more advanced technique that is capable of acquiring a detailed spectral response of target features. Due to limited accessibility outside of the scientific community, hyperspectral images have not been widely used in precision agriculture. In recent years, different mini-sized and low-cost airborne hyperspectral sensors (e.g., Headwall Micro-Hyperspec, Cubert UHD 185-Firefly) have been developed, and advanced spaceborne hyperspectral sensors have also been or will be launched (e.g., PRISMA, DESIS, EnMAP, HyspIRI). Hyperspectral imaging is becoming more widely available to agricultural applications. Meanwhile, the acquisition, processing, and analysis of hyperspectral imagery still remain a challenging research topic (e.g., large data volume, high data dimensionality, and complex information analysis). It is hence beneficial to conduct a thorough and in-depth review of the hyperspectral imaging technology (e.g., different platforms and sensors), methods available for processing and analyzing hyperspectral information, and recent advances of hyperspectral imaging in agricultural applications. Publications over the past 30 years in hyperspectral imaging technology and applications in agriculture were thus reviewed. The imaging platforms and sensors, together with analytic methods used in the literature, were discussed. Performances of hyperspectral imaging for different applications (e.g., crop biophysical and biochemical properties’ mapping, soil characteristics, and crop classification) were also evaluated. This review is intended to assist agricultural researchers and practitioners to better understand the strengths and limitations of hyperspectral imaging to agricultural applications and promote the adoption of this valuable technology. Recommendations for future hyperspectral imaging research for precision agriculture are also presented.

Recent Advances of Hyperspectral Imaging Technology and Applications in Agriculture

Above-ground biomass (AGB) is a basic agronomic parameter for field investigation and is frequently used to indicate crop growth status, the effects of agricultural management practices, and the ability to sequester carbon above and below ground. The conventional way to obtain AGB is to use destructive sampling methods that require manual harvesting of crops, weighing, and recording, which makes large-area, long-term measurements challenging and time consuming. However, with the diversity of platforms and sensors and the improvements in spatial and spectral resolution, remote sensing is now regarded as the best technical means for monitoring and estimating AGB over large areas. In this study, we used structural and spectral information provided by remote sensing from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in combination with machine learning to estimate maize biomass. Of the 14 predictor variables, six were selected to create a model by using a recursive feature elimination algorithm. Four machine-learning regression algorithms (multiple linear regression, support vector machine, artificial neural network, and random forest) were evaluated and compared to create a suitable model, following which we tested whether the two sampling methods influence the training model. To estimate the AGB of maize, we propose an improved method for extracting plant height from UAV images and a volumetric indicator (i.e., BIOVP). The results show that (1) the random forest model gave the most balanced results, with low error and a high ratio of the explained variance for both the training set and the test set. (2) BIOVP can retain the largest strength effect on the AGB estimate in four different machine learning models by using importance analysis of predictors. (3) Comparing the plant heights calculated by the three methods with manual ground-based measurements shows that the proposed method increased the ratio of the explained variance and reduced errors. These results lead us to conclude that the combination of machine learning with UAV remote sensing is a promising alternative for estimating AGB. This work suggests that structural and spectral information can be considered simultaneously rather than separately when estimating biophysical crop parameters.

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Modeling maize above-ground biomass based on machine learning approaches using UAV remote-sensing data

Correct estimation of above-ground biomass (AGB) is necessary for accurate crop growth monitoring and yield prediction. We estimated AGB based on images obtained with a snapshot hyperspectral sensor (UHD 185 firefly, Cubert GmbH, Ulm, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The UHD 185 images were used to calculate the crop height and hyperspectral reflectance of winter wheat canopies from hyperspectral and panchromatic images. We constructed several single-parameter models for AGB estimation based on spectral parameters, such as specific bands, spectral indices (e.g., Ratio Vegetation Index (RVI), NDVI, Greenness Index (GI) and Wide Dynamic Range VI (WDRVI)) and crop height and several models combined with spectral parameters and crop height. Comparison with experimental results indicated that incorporating crop height into the models improved the accuracy of AGB estimations (the average AGB is 6.45 t/ha). The estimation accuracy of single-parameter models was low (crop height only: R2 = 0.50, RMSE = 1.62 t/ha, MAE = 1.24 t/ha; R670 only: R2 = 0.54, RMSE = 1.55 t/ha, MAE = 1.23 t/ha; NDVI only: R2 = 0.37, RMSE = 1.81 t/ha, MAE = 1.47 t/ha; partial least squares regression R2 = 0.53, RMSE = 1.69, MAE = 1.20), but accuracy increased when crop height and spectral parameters were combined (partial least squares regression modeling: R2 = 0.78, RMSE = 1.08 t/ha, MAE = 0.83 t/ha; verification: R2 = 0.74, RMSE = 1.20 t/ha, MAE = 0.96 t/ha). Our results suggest that crop height determined from the new UAV-based snapshot hyperspectral sensor can improve AGB estimation and is advantageous for mapping applications. This new method can be used to guide agricultural management.

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/9/7/708/pdf

Estimation of Winter Wheat Above-Ground Biomass Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-Based Snapshot Hyperspectral Sensor and Crop Height Improved Models

Leaf area index (LAI) is an important indicator of plant growth and yield that can be monitored by remote sensing. Several models were constructed using datasets derived from SRS and STR sampling methods to determine the optimal model for soybean (multiple strains) LAI inversion for the whole crop growth period and a single growth period. Random forest (RF), artificial neural network (ANN), and support vector machine (SVM) regression models were compared with a partial least-squares regression (PLS) model. The RF model yielded the highest precision, accuracy, and stability with V-R2, SDR2, V-RMSE, and SDRMSE values of 0.741, 0.031, 0.106, and 0.005, respectively, over the whole growth period based on STR sampling. The ANN model had the highest precision, accuracy, and stability (0.452, 0.132, 0.086, and 0.009, respectively) over a single growth phase based on STR sampling. The precision, accuracy, and stability of the RF, ANN, and SVM models were improved by inclusion of STR sampling. The RF model is suitable for estimating LAI when sample plots and variation are relatively large (i.e., the whole growth period or more than one growth period). The ANN model is more appropriate for estimating LAI when sample plots and variation are relatively low (i.e., a single growth period).

https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/9/4/309/pdf

Retrieving Soybean Leaf Area Index from Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Hyperspectral Remote Sensing: Analysis of RF, ANN, and SVM Regression Models

Timely and accurate estimates of crop parameters are crucial for agriculture management. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) carrying sophisticated cameras are very pertinent for this work because they can obtain remote-sensing images with higher temporal, spatial, and ground resolution than satellites. In this study, we evaluated (i) the performance of crop parameters estimates using a near-surface spectroscopy (350~2500 nm, 3 nm at 700 nm, 8.5 nm at 1400 nm, 6.5 nm at 2100 nm), a UAV-mounted snapshot hyperspectral sensor (450~950 nm, 8 nm at 532 nm) and a high-definition digital camera (Visible, R, G, B); (ii) the crop surface models (CSMs), RGB-based vegetation indices (VIs), hyperspectral-based VIs, and methods combined therefrom to make multi-temporal estimates of crop parameters and to map the parameters. The estimated leaf area index (LAI) and above-ground biomass (AGB) are obtained by using linear and exponential equations, random forest (RF) regression, and partial least squares regression (PLSR) to combine the UAV based spectral VIs and crop heights (from the CSMs). The results show that: (i) spectral VIs correlate strongly with LAI and AGB over single growing stages when crop height correlates positively with AGB over multiple growth stages; (ii) the correlation between the VIs multiplying crop height and AGB is greater than that between a single VI and crop height; (iii) the AGB estimate from the UAV-mounted snapshot hyperspectral sensor and high-definition digital camera is similar to the results from the ground spectrometer when using the combined methods (i.e., using VIs multiplying crop height, RF and PLSR to combine VIs and crop heights); and (iv) the spectral performance of the sensors is crucial in LAI estimates (the wheat LAI cannot be accurately estimated over multiple growing stages when using only crop height). The LAI estimates ranked from best to worst are ground spectrometer, UAV snapshot hyperspectral sensor, and UAV high-definition digital camera.

A Comparison of Crop Parameters Estimation Using Images from UAV-Mounted Snapshot Hyperspectral Sensor and High-Definition Digital Camera

Hyperspectral remote sensing is used in precision agriculture to remotely and quickly acquire crop phenotype information. This paper describes the generation of a digital orthophoto map (DOM) and radiometric calibration for images taken by a miniaturized snapshot hyperspectral camera mounted on a lightweight unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The snapshot camera is a relatively new type of hyperspectral sensor that can acquire an image cube with one spectral and two spatial dimensions at one exposure. The images acquired by the hyperspectral snapshot camera need to be mosaicked together to produce a DOM and radiometrically calibrated before analysis. However, the spatial resolution of hyperspectral cubes is too low to mosaic the images together. Furthermore, there are no systematic radiometric calibration methods or procedures for snapshot hyperspectral images acquired from low-altitude carrier platforms. In this study, we obtained hyperspectral imagery using a snapshot hyperspectral sensor mounted on a UAV. We quantitatively evaluated the radiometric response linearity (RRL) and radiometric response variation (RRV) and proposed a method to correct the RRV effect. We then introduced a method to interpolate position and orientation system (POS) information and generate a DOM with low spatial resolution and a digital elevation model (DEM) using a 3D mesh model built from panchromatic images with high spatial resolution. The relative horizontal geometric precision of the DOM was validated by comparison with a DOM generated from a digital RGB camera. A surface crop model (CSM) was produced from the DEM, and crop height for 48 sampling plots was extracted and compared with the corresponding field-measured crop height to verify the relative precision of the DEM. Finally, we applied two absolute radiometric calibration methods to the generated DOM and verified their accuracy via comparison with spectra measured with an ASD Field Spec Pro spectrometer (Analytical Spectral Devices, Boulder, CO, USA). The DOM had high relative horizontal accuracy, and compared with the digital camera-derived DOM, spatial differences were below 0.05 m (RMSE = 0.035). The determination coefficient for a regression between DEM-derived and field-measured crop height was 0.680. The radiometric precision was 5% for bands between 500 and 945 nm, and the reflectance curve in the infrared spectral region did not decrease as in previous research. The pixel and data sizes for the DOM corresponding to a field area of approximately 85 m × 34 m were small (0.67 m and approximately 13.1 megabytes, respectively), which is convenient for data transmission, preprocessing and analysis. The proposed method for radiometric calibration and DOM generation from hyperspectral cubes can be used to yield hyperspectral imagery products for various applications, particularly precision agriculture.

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The DOM Generation and Precise Radiometric Calibration of a UAV-Mounted Miniature Snapshot Hyperspectral Imager

To explore the effects of stem structure on biomass, yield and economic coefficient of corn, the grey relation analysis, correlation analysis and path analysis were used to analyze the relationship of 5 agronomic traits of corn (Jing Hua No. 8), which conducted in 2015 at National Precision Agriculture Research Station. The results show that, stem height has closely related with biomass, base stem diameter direct influence is 0.68, which is the largest influence on yield, however, top stem diameter show great contribution to stem height and base stem diameter, moreover it expressing significant direct and indirect impact on biomass, economic coefficient, the value is -0.52, 0.385, 0.67, 0.348, selecting the appropriate top stem diameter will help improving the potential yield of corn.

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Selecting Corn Agronomic Traits in Breeding high potential Yield: effects of Stem Structure

Phenology exercises a critical control on annual terrestrial ecosystem carbon uptake and indicates interaction between climate and vegetation. Solely vegetation index is insufficient to accurately detect the end of growing season (EOS). Soil temperature (Ts) plays a modulating role in soil microbial functioning and plant growth, while its impact on EOS remains largely unknown. Hence, we compared the potential between Ts and air temperature (Ta) as the indicators of EOS by using flux data from 14 deciduous broadleaf forests, 24 evergreen needleleaf forests (ENF), 7 mixed forests, and 23 nonforests over Northern temperate and boreal regions (30°–60°N) for 2001–2014. The widely used NDVI-based double-logistic approach failed to capture EOS variability for these ecosystems, and we derived a new EOS algorithm with a soil temperature-based scaler, which improved the EOS modeling for all plant functional types. We found that Ts at different depths showed varied abilities for EOS modeling, and Ts at the 0–10 cm depth provided the best estimates of EOS in terms of both numbers of significant sites and the correlation coefficients (R). Estimated EOS occurred earlier by on average 2.9 days than the current MODIS phenology product for ∼56.5% pixels, especially for the ENF ecosystems (∼5.5 days). Our study suggests the usefulness of surface soil temperature for autumn leaf senescence phenology modeling, and that combination of environmental variables with the current modeling strategy can improve our understanding of autumn phenology with future climate change.

Huanhuan Yuan

Papers

Retrieving Soybean Leaf Area Index from Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Hyperspectral Remote Sensing: Analysis of RF, ANN, and SVM Regression Models

A Comparison of Crop Parameters Estimation Using Images from UAV-Mounted Snapshot Hyperspectral Sensor and High-Definition Digital Camera

The DOM Generation and Precise Radiometric Calibration of a UAV-Mounted Miniature Snapshot Hyperspectral Imager

Selecting Corn Agronomic Traits in Breeding high potential Yield: effects of Stem Structure

Remote Sensing of Autumn Phenology by Including Surface Soil Temperature: Algorithm Development, Calibration, and Validation