2002 Volume 64 Issue 1 Pages 127-135
A Ground-base Image Mapping System composed of camera, a GPS and a computer was developed. This system collects the images of paddy field sequentially while the vehicle is traveling in the field. After traveling, the images are synthesized and displayed as a twodimensional image. Plant coverage values of paddy rice vegetations were examined using this system. As a result, the plant coverage closely correlates with the leaf area index and the absorbed amount of nitrogen per growing area, regardless of the type of cultivation, that is, direct seeding or transplanting. Using the system with some improvements including the cut-off of external light, the number of rice establishment seedlings, which were raised with the direct seeding cultivation technique, was measured. The results closely matched those from the visual examination. An effective cultivation management may be possible by dividing the establishment seedlings into several groups based on the density and changing the amounts of the fertilizer and the pesticide accordingly. Consequently, this system is considered to be an effective tool to collect the data regarding the plant growth state, which will facilitate the cultivation management of small sections in large agricultural fields.
