Extending the utility of machine based height sensors to spatially monitor cotton growth

The recommended procedures for implementing COTMAN; a cotton management expert system; suggest frequent crop scouting at numerous locations for each field. Machine based height sensors coupled with the ability to spatially record height values make it possible to locate regions of a field that are height representative of the entire field. A machine based height measurement system called HMAP was used to assess plant height in various fields in the 2003 growing season while the same fields were monitored with COTMAN. The plant height data was used to determine an optimal COTMAN sampling scheme for each field consisting of significantly fewer sampling locations than recommended by COTMAN. It was possible to ascertain equivalent information from COTMAN using two sites selected from height data in place of six sites selected per COTMAN recommendations. The HMAP system was extended to monitor rate of growth in real time in addition to plant height by comparing historical plant height data recorded on previous field passes to current height values. The rate of growth capable HMAP system will make it possible to track cotton growth and development with an automated system.