Potential of unmanned aerial vehicles in estimation of plant health using infrared imagery

Prince Edward Island (PEI) is best known for its fertile red soil, abundant crops, and prizewinning potatoes. Agriculture is the most economically advantageous sector on PEI, bringing in millions of dollars to the economy, as well as providing countries all over the world with consumable fruits, vegetables, and grains. With more than 300,000 acres of land being used for agriculture across PEI, monitoring plant health within these fields can become a lengthy and challenging task. This paper explores the potential of using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to estimate plant health using various vegetation indices. Aerial images of different fields in PEI will be taken and analyzed using various model. This study will provide the robust and non- destructive vegetation monitoring tool to manage crop health. Furthermore, this study provides the basis of variable crop management based on vegetation health.