Assessing the spatial variability of neglected and underutilized crop species (NUS) leaf and canopy chlorophyll content in KwaZulu-Natal smallholder farms using unmanned aerial Vehicle (UAV)-based high-throughput phenotyping

Abstract

Assessing the variability of crop chlorophyll content as an indicator of productivity is essential for optimising the production of Neglected and Underutilized crop Species (NUS) crops like as sweet potato and taro as well as establishing them among mainstream food crops. These NUS present a viable solution to address food and nutritional deficiencies in marginalised communities. Recent advancements in precision agriculture, particularly the use of drones outfitted with high-resolution sensors, have been demonstrated to offer near real-time, spatially explicit data that are invaluable for accurately monitoring and assessing crop growth dynamics at both farm and plot scales. The combined use of UAV-borne remote sensing techniques offers a platform for comprehensively understanding NUS crop productivity characteristics, which can guide operational decisions related to crop health, enabling timely remedial actions and optimising productivity. Hence, the purpose of this research was to assess the usefulness of data obtained from drones and remotely sensed data in mapping the leaf and canopy chlorophyll content of taro and sweet potato crops as a proxy for productivity. The first objective systematically reviewed existing literature on the use of earth observation data in characterising NUS productivity elements on smallholder croplands.