Aerial Imagery

NEWS &
On-Farm Network®
© 2010 On-Farm Network. All rights reserved.
NOTESDecember 1, 2010 Volume 1, Number 1
Spotlight
Remote Sensing
In this early September image of an Iowa corn field, the diagonal striping is the result of a uniformity prob-
lem. Liquid hog manure had been applied to the field using a drag hose (umbilical cord) system. A partial
loss of pressure at the pump resulted in uneven distribution of the manure along the toolbar used to inject it.
Since the manure was applied at an angle to the rows, it created stripes across the rows, instead of with the
rows.
On-Farm Network®
1255 SW Prairie Trail Pkwy
Ankeny, Iowa 50023
phone: 515-334-1054
ATESF
Ag Technology & Environmental
Stewardship Foundation
email: info@agtechonfarm.net
NEWS &
On-Farm Network®
NOTES December 1, 2010 Volume 1, Number 1
Spotlight
Remote Sensing, p. 2
Point of view can make a BIG difference in identifying crop issues.
View 3. From a neighbor’s bin that is much higher.
1 2
View 1. From the road closest to the edge of the field. View 2. From the top of grain bin on the home
farm (across the road from the field).
On-Farm Network®
Ankeny, Iowa 50023
phone: 515-334-1054
ATESF
NEWS &
On-Farm Network®
Spotlight
What can we see in this image?
Point 1. The curved dark green line

(also shown in the blow-up below) is
from the manure applicator
continuing to pump manure while
turning The specific pattern is due
turning.
the path that must be made because
of the drag hose attached to the tool Point1
bar.
Point2
Point3
Point4
Point 2. The dark green line is
from the manure applicator. The
symmetrically parallel pattern Point 4.
4 Dashed red line shows where
confirms the center of the bar was Point 3. The light green strip the manure applicator stopped for the
getting more manure than the running from top to bottom is night. The lower right side of the dashed
edges. Considering the large area a strip where the grower left line is where the crew began applying
of lighter green in this area, it is an untreated pass while side- the next day, after the pressure problem
likely that the overall rate of dressing an additional 50 lbs. was apparently solved.
manure was greatly reduced. off N/acre
N/ on the
h rest off the
h
field.
On-Farm Network®
Ankeny, Iowa 50023
phone: 515-334-1054
ATESF
NEWS &
On-Farm Network®
Spotlight
How does the yield map compare to the image?
Yield Map Aerial image
Low grain yield

In general, the areas with the lighter color in the aerial image match with the
High grain yield lower yielding areas shown in the yield map.
On a finer level of detail, the differences in yield are largely masked at the yield
monitor, because the lower yielding areas were at an angle to the rows, so yields
from the high and low areas were mixed in the combine.
The yield difference was very evident, based on the yield map, when harvesting
the test strip without the extra 50 lbs. N/acre applied to the rest of the field,.
On-Farm Network®
Ankeny, Iowa 50023
phone: 515-334-1054
ATESF
NEWS &
On-Farm Network®
Spotlight
Are the differences in imagery

g y important
p in the way
y the crop
p develops?
p
Overall, there was a major difference between the corn

Above, a couple of ears were sampled from each area to
plants in the dark green areas and the lighter green
illustrate the size difference. Ears on the left were from
areas shown in the aerial image of the field.
th lilighter
the ht colored
l d area in i the
th row, while
hil those
th on th
the
right were from the darker area.
This can be illustrated by showing the ear height on the
plants. In the photos above, ears were about 10.5 inches
higher in the darker green area of the field (left). The
ears in the lighter green areas had already tipped down
and grain was about 6% drier at the time these photos
were taken.
On-Farm Network®
Ankeny, Iowa 50023
phone: 515-334-1054
ATESF
NEWS &
On-Farm Network®
Spotlight
Are the differences in imagery important related to the crop?
To help understand the effects of this type

of application error, four sites in the field
were picked where grain was hand
harvested and samples were collected for
stalk nitrate analysis. At each location,
samples were collected from 8 rows in the
dark green area and from the lighter green
area directly adjacent to the it in the same
rows.
Overall, there was a yield difference of

more than 50 bu./a between the darker
and lighter areas. The lighter areas tested
deficient in stalk nitrate level, while the
dark green areas tested at well over the
2 000 ppm N level that the preharvest
2,000
stalk nitrate test defines as excessive.
Dark Green Lighter Green
Average
g yyield 214 bu./a 160 bu./a
Average stalk nitrate 5502 ppm N 53 ppm N
On-Farm Network®
Ankeny, Iowa 50023
phone: 515-334-1054
ATESF

Aerial Imagery

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NEWS &

© 2010 On-Farm Network. All rights reserved.

NOTESDecember 1, 2010 Volume 1, Number 1

© 2010 On-Farm Network. All rights reserved.

NOTES December 1, 2010 Volume 1, Number 1

View 3. From a neighbor’s bin that is much higher.

© 2010 On-Farm Network. All rights reserved.

NOTES December 1, 2010 Volume 1, Number 1

Point 1. The curved dark green line

© 2010 On-Farm Network. All rights reserved.

NOTES December 1, 2010 Volume 1, Number 1

Low grain yield

© 2010 On-Farm Network. All rights reserved.

NOTESDecember 1, 2010 Volume 1, Number 1

Are the differences in imagery

Overall, there was a major difference between the corn

© 2010 On-Farm Network. All rights reserved.

NOTESDecember 1, 2010 Volume 1, Number 1

To help understand the effects of this type

Overall, there was a yield difference of

Dark Green Lighter Green

Average stalk nitrate 5502 ppm N 53 ppm N

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