|
Reporting
Period: 01 September 1999 to 31 August 2000
Objectives:
1) Evaluate
the efficacy of infrared thermometers (IRT) and multi-spectral radiometers
for detection and differentiation of biotic and abiotic stresses
2) Generate
maps of specific pest infestations over time using remote sensing,
GPS, and GIS technology for integration into a site-specific irrigation/chemigation
system
3) Identify
interactions between biotic and abiotic stresses that could impact
accuracy of maps and subsequent recommendations to producers
A. Summary
of Progress:
Completed evaluation of infrared thermometers for detection of greenbug
stress on winter wheat, and published the results (see publications
below).
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.
D. Publications:
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.
F. Precision Agriculture meetings attended/papers (posters) presented:
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.
The future plans of the Precision Agriculture group, to jointly fund
a remote sensing platform that is under our control is very exciting.
Although we have made good strides in determining the beneficial use
of IRT's and multispectral radiometers in greenhouse experiments over
the last three years, field-truthing these experiments has been a problem
because we did not have the tools to carry out the research in a consistent
manner. Commercial companies (both satellite and aircraft) have proven
to be very unreliable. The only concern for future research is the distillation
of the enormous amount of data that precision agriculture experiment
tend to produce.
|
