Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
Researcher at the Isfahan Research Center of Agriculture and Natural Resources
Abstract
Achieving stable agricultural production with proper profitability and, at the same time, preserving the environment from destructive effects of chemical fertilizers is not possible without taking the changes in farm’s soil and plant growth into account. The division of the farm into management sections is carried out in a variety of ways. Concentrated sampling of plants and soil, preparation of contour line maps of its features, and the use of aerial (installed on airplanes) and satellite sensors are among these methods.
In developing countries, access to high resolution satellite data is not feasible due to economic and security reasons. However, satellite data with smaller scale is partially able to make the division of the management sections in the farm according to the state of plant growth possible. In this study, the possibility of dividing in-farm management sections based on the NDVI index calculated from the reflection intensity at Landsat 7 satellite wavelengths has been investigated. The NDVI map provides the possibility of dividing farm sections, calculation of the cropping area of each product, and the division of sections with different growth. The coefficient of variation of the NDVI growth index in the 10 hectare farm scale was about 11.5% and was significant. The observable growth rate of the field and the growth rate estimated according to the NDVI index field show agreement.
Keywords