Use of floral phenology to estimate canola seed yield using satellite imagery

Canola is an important oilseed crop grown across Saskatchewan for its high quality oil. Canola has a very distinct reproductive stage due to its yellow color flowers. Therefore canola fields can be very clearly identified when observed through satellites with medium resolution. This leads to numerous potential applications, and one such application is in-season canola yield prediction. There are freely available satellite platforms which has a resolution of about 3-4m and therefore is useful in extracting valuable information such as flowering intensity. These traits can be quantified through remotely sensed images and can be used to develop models to predict yield. Predicting yield during the season helps managers, consultants and farmers to make important decisions regarding their produce.

Faculty Supervisor:

Steve Shirtliffe

Student:

S. M. Hansanee M. Fernando

Partner:

CropPro Consulting

Discipline:

Forestry

Sector:

Agriculture

University:

University of Saskatchewan