Extension to the field is an important part of validating controlled environment screening technologies and provides a powerful high throughput set of tools. Plant growth and composition in field plots will be remote sensed by stereophotography, laser radar and hyperspectral reflectance, combined with thermography, radiative / radar root detection and other developing technologies. These technologies will be integrated into spatial, climatic and precision agricultural data bases through researchers across Australia.

Goals for the Field Module: Scaled from half plots to broadacre

• Non-destructive estimate of biomass and crop structure pre-canopy closure
• Non-destructive estimate of biomass and crop structure post canopy closure
• Remote sensing of stress response, canopy water loss and photosynthetic response
• Remote sensing of chemical composition : CHO, protein N, pigments over entire lifecycle
• Application of distributed sensor networks for simultaneous continuous monitoring in the field (micromet plus low res versions of the above)
• Non-destructive detection of water and root biomass at depth in soil

Canopy Architecture, Biomass, Composition and Yield By Remote Sensing in the Field

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Field Module Construction : DSN

Distributed Sensor Network

40 cards to be deployed 2009 For micromet, NDVI, canopy temp., RGB

Roots and Water at Depth: GPR

Nondestructive Estimation of CHO and Protein by NIR Reflectance

The Phenomobile

The phenomobile was designed and developed by the HRPPC to integrate a range of remote sensing technologies for phenomics field studies. It integrates a spectral reflectance radiometer system (350-2500nm) for chemometrics studies, an infrared thermal-imaging system for monitoring canopy temperature and a stereo-imaging rig for 3D reconstruction of plots for measuring biomass accumulation over time and plot height. Data are geo-referenced with a 10-cm resolution GPS system and time-stamped at acquisition. The wheel base of the phenomobile is adjustable to accommodate different plot width. Sensors are all mounted on an arm adjustable in height (0.80 to 3.50 m) to vary the instantaneous field of view of the sensors. The phenomobile will be equipped this year with a ground penetrating radar for monitoring soil water content.