America's Virtual Farm Option - Virtual Nebraska and Precision Agriculture

For information about Precision Agriculture, proceed to 'Virtual Nebraska'.

Here are some items in the Modules / Activity Link which might be useful: Interpreting Color InfraRed Imagery (CIR information) Agricultural Uses of CIR (Specific imagery information) Interpreting LandSat Imagery (Landsat Tutorial) Agri-Sensing (choose 'Current Status)*
* Under 'Current Status', look at the reflectance graphs under the 'Close Range Data'. Compare the graphs to the images of the corresponding plants. What do you find? Graphs and images on one screen. The resolution will be less but this page might save you some time in the analysis phase. You may go back to the Browser for more detailed images.	Data is available for 2 Jun, 19 Jun, 6 Jul, 28 Jul and 9 August. No data appears for 20 Aug and 28 Sep. Predict what the curves will look like for the missing dates and for 2 November.
ARDC Imagery** - (16 June being processed) Mission -Monitoring crops, growth patterns and stress via remote sensing Objective - Establish baselines for water and nitrogen w/multispectral imaging Current Status * - Design and Statistics Procedure - Describes the process

** Under ARDC Imagery, look at the imagery for 20 Jun, 26 Jun and 20 Jul. (The images from 6 Jun are being processed.) Compare the fields in general. Click on an image and go to the larger image. Choose a field to examine chronologically. How do the images compare? What color is the field? Are there variations in color? Why? The fields lie along N-S structures which are called 'Load Lines'. This in an old munitions base and the raw materials were loaded into long buildings at one end and the munitions came out the other, hence the name. Look at Load Line #2-Part A. With the 26 Jun enlarged image, there are notes for the numbered fields along the line. Examine the notes listed below the image by clicking on the number of the field in the image. The uppermost or northmost field is a wheat field and just below it lie a couple of corn fields. The fields are called 'area 1' for the wheat and 'area 2' and 'area 3' for the corn. Can you see evidence of differences in the crop in each field? If you have read about GMO's, state your opinion about having the two cornfields side by side. Look for differences in each field in each image and differences which may appear chronologically. Discuss the differences. What do you suppose that big red worm is that's crawling away from notation '1b'? UNL and the ARDC are scheduled to fly these lines every 2 weeks or so during the summer of '00. These flights should provide you with lots of data about precision agriculture.

"EXTRA CREDIT": Can you locate a water tower in the image 26 Jul on Load Line 2A? Hint: The tower is located near a series of small plots labeled 4. If you are really feeling clever now, find the water tower which is located east of the first tower. Examine the two tower locations. Can you find anything interesting about the two comparisons?

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