Tetsu Ito

An agricultural monitoring system based on the use of remotely sensed imagery and field server web camera data.

In this study, the authors develop an integrated agricultural monitoring system based on the use of high-spatial-resolution remote sensing imagery and Field Server data for a cabbage field in Tsumagoi, Gunma Prefecture, Japan. The use of the integrated system made it possible to verify the accuracy of cabbage coverage estimated from high-spatial-resolution QuickBird imagery using an unmixing method, because the authors were able to remotely examine cabbages growing in real-time using a Field Server web camera linked to their laboratory via the Internet. Using the developed integrated system, they produced a cabbage coverage map that provided information on cabbage growth that could be used for agricultural land management, particularly with regard to the application of fertilizer and forecasting crop production. The results support the validity of using remote sensing technology in conjunction with a Field Server to manage agricultural crop land.

Performance of Quasi Real-Time Paddy Field Monitoring Systems in Indonesia

Since 2010 paddy field monitoring systems have been installed in ten locations in Indonesia. Each system performs quasi-real-time monitoring using a FieldRouter equipped with an in situ camera and connected to meteorological and soil data loggers. All parameters are measured and monitored at 30-min intervals. Data and field images are daily transmitted to a remote server through Internet connection. During experiments, field monitoring systems showed good performance in monitoring and transmitting field data. Quasi-real-time monitoring is more power-saving and Internet-cost-effective than real-time monitoring. However, its stability depends on the field solar power supply and Internet connection. If there are any problems with the Internet connection, power supply, or sensors, the field image and the data are lost. For minimizing problems in fields, it is best to involve local residents in maintaining the systems. We plan to develop an advanced data management system for analyzing the data with specific purposes bearing on climate change in the future works. Keywords: monitoring system, paddy fields, system of rice intensification, FieldRouter, quasi real-time.