Getting a bird’s eye view of crop residue

Bruce Frazier

LIND, Wash. — WSU soil scientist Bruce Frazier’s research focuses on developing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing techniques to efficiently bring new knowledge of the earth from distant positions where the earth may be viewed in its entirety.

 

One of his projects involves assessing the benefits of using the undercutter, a tillage implement that slices beneath the soil with minimum disturbance. The benefit of the undercutter is reduced soil loss due to wind erosion.

 

Currently, though, assessing the benefits of using the undercutter method requires that measurements be taken on the ground.

 

Frazier hopes to use satellite images in such assessments. The challenge in using remote imaging is lack of detail, according to Frazier.

 

“To the eye, a lot of crop residue is the same color as soil,” said Frazier.

 

GIS captures, stores, analyzes, manages and presents data that is linked to location. GIS includes mapping software and its application with remote sensing, land surveying, aerial photography, mathematics, photogrammetry, geography, and tools that can be implemented with GIS software.

 

Frazier, who oversees WSU’s Remote Sensing and GIS Laboratory, said that satellite images can provide information the human eye can’t see, by sensing wavelengths beyond the visible portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Computers convert invisible wavelengths into colors that the eye can see.

 

On the ground at the WSU Lind Dryland Research Station, Frazier has collected spectral data on a variety of soils and residues using an instrument that measures reflected light at all wavelengths. By using a mathematical method that allows him to correlate residues with data from satellites, he hopes to be able to use satellite images to model actual residue cover amounts.

 

“Our approach is to understand the spectra of crop residues and background soils to properly interpret the imagery,” Frazier said.

 

For more information on Frazier’s research, please visit:
http://remotesens.css.wsu.edu/.