Estimating Cotton Stand Count Using UAV-Based Imagery

Accurate and rapid estimation of stand count is crucial to determine plant emergence rates for site-specific management, such as decision support for replanting. This study assessed the application of high-resolution unmanned aerial system (UAS) imagery in quantifying early-season cotton stand count. A UAV system equipped with an RGB camera was used to acquire images of a cotton research field 10 days after planting. Seven vegetation indices derived from the red, green, and blue bands of the orthomosaic image were used. This study shows the capacity of UAS-based images in estimating the cotton emergence rate.