Comparing satellite and high-resolution visible and thermal aerial imaging of field crops for precision irrigation management and plant biomass forecast

RGB and thermal aerial imaging campaigns using unmanned aerial vehicles were deployed in the Upper Galilee of Israel to follow up and evaluate the uniformity and efficiency of cotton irrigation. Foliage intensity was enhanced by a green-red vegetation index (GRVI). Thermal images were used to measure plant and soil temperature and plant water stress over time. Sentinel-2 and Venus satellite imaging of the cropped fields were analyzed in order to distinguish irrigation uniformity issues using several-meter-scale spatial resolutions. Both GRVI and thermal product maps were found suitable for detecting and determining irrigation non-uniform patterns, as confirmed by field-based biomass measurements. Venus images were able to detect crop irrigation non-uniformities. This research demonstrates the efficient and complementary usage of RGB and Thermal high-resolution images for irrigation uniformity evaluation and management. These abilities could be combined with satellite imaging as a refined tool for large-scale general detection of irrigation uniformity issues.