Tiffany’s comment on my previous post led me to this great site about kite aerial photography (KAP) at the University of California, Berkeley (keep on clicking the refresh button to discover the most beautiful pictures on the home page). Apparently, some very important pioneer work in the field of KAP has been done in San Francisco! Even more fascinating: the use of KAP in scientific studies (check out this site, although unfortunately many links are broken). Being an unmistakable fan of kiting and using cool toolzz in ecological field work, this sounds like something made for me. This is my personal favorite:
Authors: Gérard B, Bürkert A, Hiernaux P, Marschner H
Source: Soil science and plant nutrition (1997) 43, 993-998
Abstract: Computer based image analysis has led to a widespread use of satellite images and aerial photographs in agriculture. However, the application nf remote sensing technique for non-destructive determinations nf plant dry matter and nutrient status in field trials has been limited due to the low resolution of satellite images and the high cost of aerial photographs. A simple method based on 24 x 36 mm low-altitude (50 to 500 m) true colour and infra-red aerial photographs taken from a balloon (low-wind conditions) or a kite (high-wind conditions) was used to determine the total dry matter of coppices of the shrub Guiera senegalensis J. F. Gmel. and widely-spaced pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L.) planting hills. Results from field trials showed a close relationship (r(2) = 0.84 for G. senegalensis and r(2) = 0.74 for millet) between the harvested total dry matter of single plants and the plant canopy area determined from the digital analysis of aerial photographs.
For pearl millet, differences in the distribution of vegetation index values determined for individual plots corresponded to variations in the application rates of mineral nitrogen fertilisers and planting densities. The results show a potential of low-altitude infra-red photographs to determine total nitrogen uptake of miller at the field level based on independent assessments of plant dry matter and nitrogen concentration in shoots.
For pearl millet, differences in the distribution of vegetation index values determined for individual plots corresponded to variations in the application rates of mineral nitrogen fertilisers and planting densities. The results show a potential of low-altitude infra-red photographs to determine total nitrogen uptake of miller at the field level based on independent assessments of plant dry matter and nitrogen concentration in shoots.
Author keywords: aerial photography; image analysis; miller growth; nitrogen status; non-destructive measurements; Sahel
Keywords plus: stress; sahel; water; corn
