Vineyard properties extraction combining UAS-based RGB imagery with elevation data. Issue 15 (18th August 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pádua, Luís; Marques, Pedro; Hruška, Jonáš; Adão, Telmo; Bessa, José; Sousa, António; Peres, Emanuel; Morais, Raul; Sousa, Joaquim J.
• Is Part Of: International journal of remote sensing. Volume 39:Issue 15/16(2018)
• Page Start: 5377
• Page End: 5401
• Publication Date: 2018-08-18
• Subjects: Remote sensing -- Periodicals; Télédétection -- Périodiques; 621.3678
• DOI: 10.1080/01431161.2018.1471548
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0143-1161

Abstract

ABSTRACT: To differentiate between canopy and vegetation cover is particularly challenging. Nonetheless, it is pivotal in obtaining the exact crops' vegetation when using remote-sensing data. In this article, a method to automatically estimate and extract vineyards' canopy is proposed. It combines vegetation indices and digital elevation models – derived from high-resolution images, acquired using unmanned aerial vehicles – to differentiate between vines' canopy and inter-row vegetation cover. This enables the extraction of relevant information from a specific vineyard plot. The proposed method was applied to data acquired from some vineyards located in Portugal's north-eastern region, and the resulting parameters were validated. It proved to be an effective method when applied with consumer-grade sensors, carried by unmanned aerial vehicles. Moreover, it also proved to be a fast and efficient way to extract vineyard information, enabling vineyard plots mapping for precision viticulture management tasks.