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Principal Investigator:
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Cooperators:
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Primary
Research Location: Bushland,
TX Project Title: Factors Impacting Development of a Remote Sensing Dependent Site-Specific Irrigation/Chemigation System |
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Reporting Period: 01 September 1999 to 31 August 2000 Objectives:
A. Summary
of Progress: Expanded multispectral radiometer research on detection of greenbug infestations on winter wheat. Research is ongoing with greenhouse experiments underway, and we are ready to go to the field to do ground-truthing in the spring of 2001. A graduate student has been recruited who is responsible for this research. Completed third year of research on the interactions of sorghum plant populations, irrigation regimes key to PET levels and greenbug infestations 3 (see figures 1 through 3). The results have been very good, especially with the inclusion of the third year's data. The study has been concluded and a journal article is in preparation (see below).
We have completed the fourth years' research on Western corn rootworm seasonal population trends in the Texas Panhandle. The thrust of the research is to develop a predictive model for rootworm egg hatch and adult emergence in relationship to the weather data that can be collected on site by our NPPET network. B. Education/technology transfer: The results, current experiments, and plans for Precision Agriculture were shown during group tours and meetings. Examples include presentations at the Bushland Wheat Field Day, a tour of graduate students taking an advanced agronomy course under Dr. Clay Robinson at WTAMU and a briefing for State Representative Mac Thornberry. Debi Owings attended a one-week workshop in San Antonio on Arc View in October 2000. C. Milestones achieved: The completion of the IRT research yielded good, although not completely positive results. However, the results did permit us to state that IRT's should not be looked at as precision agriculture tools in and of themselves for insect detection. The research spurred interest in multi- and now hyperspectral radiometers as perhaps better means of remote sensing agronomic pests. We area
very happy with the results of the sorghum research on he impact plant
density and irrigation regimes have on greenbug infestations. We believe
this research as been key to pointing out that precision agriculture
techniques can impact pest populations, and producers need to be aware
that changing agronomic techniques can have unexpected results. Our
research also confirmed that, at least in the Texas High Plains, two
years of field data is definitely marginal for conclusions. If we had
stopped this research in 1999 instead of carrying it out through 2000,
a completely different conclusion would have been reached, primarily
that there was no direct effect of plant density, irrigation regimes
or the combinations on greenbug density. Now we know, with three years'
data, that natural rainfall plays an important part in determining irrigation
effects. Michels, G. J. Jr., G. M. Piccinni, C. M. Rush, and D. A. Fritts. 1999. Sensing Greenbug (Homoptera: Aphididae) Infestations in Winter Wheat with Infrared Transducers. Southwest. Entomol. 24:269-279. Michels, G. J., Jr., C. M. Rush, G. M. Piccinni, and D. A. Owings. Impact of plant populations and irrigation regimes on greenbug densities in grain sorghum. Southwest. Entomol. To be submitted in February 2001. Michels, G. J., Jr., C. M. Rush, G. Piccinni, and T. H. Marek. Using multispectral radiometers for greenbug detection in wheat. Journal undecided. In prep. Piccinni, G., C. M. Rush, G. J. Michels, Jr., and J. K. Burk. An automated remote sensing platform for insect and disease detection. Phytopathology. In prep. E. Precision agriculture proposals: Michels, G. J. Jr., and D. A. Fritts. 2000. Assessment of Multi-Spectral Radiometers for Remote Sensing of Greenbug Infestations in Winter Wheat. Texas Wheat Producers Board. Funded, $9,000. Michels, G. J. Jr., C. D. Patrick, and T. H. Marek. 2000. Modeling and Control of Western Corn Rootworm Populations in Field Corn. Texas Corn Producers Board. Non funded, $9,500. Michels, G. J. Jr. 2001. Modeling and Control of Western Corn Rootworm Populations in Field Corn. Texas Corn Producers Board. Pending, $9,500. Waits, D. A., F. R. Schiebe, N. C. Elliott, G. J. Michels, Jr., K. L. Giles, T. A. Royer, M. Daggy. 2000. Remote Sensing to Detect Greenbug Infestations on Wheat. 2000. USDA SBIR. Pending, $65,000. As a note to this proposal, my program has entered into a cooperative agreement with Mr. David Waits, USDA ARS, and Oklahoma State University to provide expertise for the proposed research by SST Development Group, Inc., which is owned by Mr. Waits. No direct funds will come to TAES through this grant, however, there is a great potential for future collaboration in research that will produce funding.
Michels, G. J., Jr., G. Piccinni, C. M. Rush, and D. A. Fritts. 2000. Using infrared transducers to sense greenbug infestations in winter wheat. Fifth International Conf. on Precision Agri. Bloomington, Minnesota. G. Other developments: With the
techniques we have developed over the last three years, we are interested
in expanding our ability to remotely sense other agronomic stresses.
A separate part of our research program is biological control of weeds
with insects. We have begun a separate pilot study to determine if musk
thistle, a rapidly-growing problem in the high plains, can be remotely
sensed satellite or aircraft-borne imaging, and if the progression of
biological control can be verified through these images. These technologies
may also be used to map and track other noxious weed biological control
programs in Texas and other states. |
