Application of drone to aid in the evaluation of trials in cotton cultivation (Gossypium hirsutum L.) Malvaceae f.

Abstract

The use of drones to evaluate crops has become increasingly common. Among these uses, the drone helps in the cultivation of cotton a crop that is highly prone to intense attacks by pests and diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the use of drones in evaluating trials in cotton cultivation in the Southwest of Goiás, Brazil. A Phantom 4 Pro drone was used to carry out the mapping and WebODM was used to carry out photogrammetry and obtain the ExG vegetation index. ExG proved to be efficient in detecting differences between blocks. The use of drones provided a series of benefits in the assessment process in cotton cultivation. The ability to fly over the area quickly and accurately allowed detailed, and punctual images to be obtained which was essential for monitoring plant health and identifying problem areas such as pest or disease infestations.

Code and data availability

The paper describes drone imagery of cotton trials processed with WebODM and ExG analysis in R, but provides no public deposit of the images, phenotype data, or analysis code. WebODM (opendronemap.org) and R are generic third-party tools, not paper-specific assets, and no author data/code availability statement exists.

No evidence-backed public reproduction asset is currently recorded.