Grant: Applied Research and Development Grants - Level 1

Bezanson and Chase Cranberry Company Limited (BCCC), a Nova Scotia based company and leadingproducer of fresh cranberries, is seeking ways to improve crop production and yield and have approached theNova Scotia Community College's (NSCC) Applied Geomatics Research Group (AGRG) to investigate theapplication of geomatics technologies in their business. AGRG is proposing to utilize high resolution spatialimages collected from an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) to develop innovative tools for BCCC. A visual,near-infrared (NIR) and thermal sensor will be mounted on a UAS and images will be collected over thecranberry marsh to assess the crop production. From the NIR images, a number of vegetation indices will becomputed to provide insight into biophysical parameters of the cranberry crops and the images collected fromthe thermal sensor will assist with irrigation decisions. The application of this technology will have a varietyof benefits to the producer including increased crop yield using precision farming, improved crop quality,reduction of crop loss from frost and freezing damage, less water and energy consumption, and decreased laborcosts. This research will complement and enhance the remote sensing expertise within the AGRG anddemonstrate further technology applications in the agriculture sector.