A Field Experiment Study on the Use of OSMI Wave Bands for Agricultural Applications

The aim of this study is to assess the OSMI (Ocean Scanning Multi-spectral Imager), whose central bands are 443nm, 490nm, 510nm, 555nm, 670nm, and 865nm, for agricultural applications. Radiance measurements, used to determine per cent reflectance of canopies and soils, were acquired with spectro-radiometers (Li-1800;330∼1,100nm, GER-SFOV;350∼2,500nm, and MSR-7000; 300∼2,500nm) in situ for crops and indoors for soils. OSMI equivalent bands and their ratio values were prepared(20nm interval for bands 1∼5; 40nm interval for band 6) by averaging spectral reflectance values to the real OSMI bands and analyzed as to crop growth parameters, leaf area index (LAI), total dry matter, and growth index in crops and physiochemical properties in soils. Spectral variations for each growth stage in rice and for crop discrimination in upland crops were significant statistically. In soils, clay and water content, CEC (Cation Exchange Capacity), free iron oxide, and some cation content were correlated with the OSMI equivalent bands. The result of this study shows OSMI wave bands would be promising for agricultural application in terms of spectral information and resolution.