Canola Yield Simulation through Digitalized Flower Number Using
High-Resolution UAV-RGB Imagery
Abstract
Canola has a prominent floral signature and requires careful
consideration when selecting spectral indices for yield estimation. This
study evaluated several spectral indices derived from high-resolution
RGB images. A small plot (2.75m x 6m) experiment was conducted at Kernen
Research Farm, Saskatoon, where canola was grown under varying row
spacings and seeding rates (192 plots). The canopy reflectance was
imaged during the flowering period and seed yield was obtained at
physiological maturity. Indices were evaluated for accuracy in
quantifying canola flowers in high-resolution RGB imagery with
within-canopy shadow pixels. Digitalized flower number from the peak
flowering date was used to test and validate a non-linear
three-parameter asymptotic regression model to simulate canola seed
yield. 70 % of the data was used to develop the model, and 30 % was
used to validate the model. Model performance was tested with Pseudo-R2,
r, MAE, and RMSE. HrFI (High-resolution Flowering Index) and MYI
(Modified Yellowness Index) were able to accurately identify flowering
pixels with the least amount of error pixel. The yield simulation model
resulted in a pseudo-R2 value of 0.11 for the tested model and, a
correlation of 0.91 for validation with RMSE and MAE of 343.1 and 265.3,
respectively. Our results indicate that the HrFI index is a better
indicator of yield potential compared to NDYI as the metric is well
capable of handling within canopy shadows. Further studies are necessary
to evaluate the performance of HrFI for medium resolution-UAV and
satellite imagery.