SITE SPECIFIC WEED MANAGEMENT MAPPING SYSTEM USING UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE (UAV)

Abstract

Abstract. There is currently a need to optimize herbicide application, in order to minimize its use and resistance. Precision agriculture is used by many farmers to optimize their operations and reduce various inputs. However, current herbicide spray systems do not yet fully utilize boom section control to deliver targeted herbicide application. Although there are many platforms available in the market to create variable rate prescription maps, these systems are not suited to detailed broad acre herbicide application. As a result, farmers often choose to conduct blanket herbicide applications, which leads to a negative environmental impact and promotes herbicide resistance. With recent advances in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) systems, it is now possible to image large fields (> 100 acres) with relatively high resolution ( < 1 inch) and observe weed infestations in detail. However, there exists a gap in the current technology to create workable prescription weed spray maps from this imagery. Therefore, this paper describes preliminary investigations into a mapping system, which automatically generates herbicide prescription maps using UAV imagery and machine vision techniques, in order to provide an alternative to current herbicide application systems and as a market entry into precision spot spraying.