This program is designed to collected crop information from an aerial platform with a hyperspectral sensor and correlate and combine the imagery with ground truthed field data to produce spectral signature libraries for commercially significant crops of the Mid-Atlantic Region. In addition, signature data will be collected from the ground to further define crop and pest information. Commercialization utilization of the agricultural data for crop management in near real time will occur as accurate spectral ignature libraries are developed from hyperspectral sensor data. 3DI will operate the hyperspectral sensor for data collection and provide the post processing data analysis. Farms with sample target areas will be supplied by USDA regional operational farms. Field observation and analysis will be performed by University of Maryland. Limited data distribution will be through NASA's Baltimore-Washington Regional Collaboratory at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. The potential commercial impact of the spectral libraries includes the management of crops by problem detection in near real time, and the precise application of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. There are significant environmental and economic implications in the use of accurately analyzed airborne hyperspectral images as a timely and cost efficient agricultural management tool.The potential commercial applications of hyperspectral data in precision agriculture is directly related to the accurate and timely determination of crop problems. Early detection of problems in the field directly effects the cost of treatment as well as crop yields in a season. In addition, there are enviro- economic implications tied to the targeted use of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizer in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Farm management companies will find a great deal of value in the near real time analysis of hyperspectral data, and allow crop management decisions to be made quickly. Farmers will realize greater yields and apply less agricultural chemicals during the growing season. In addition, it is anticipated that agri-business companies and research institutions will make use of these libraries for crop and field analysis.Over time, this data will become more valuable because it will bring to light farming trends that are currently unknown. The historical hyperspectral data for any farm will assist farmers in planning crops and treatments of problems. Potential users, buyers and sellers of this information range from the farmer, to the agrochemical producers, to the companies that collect and analyze these images.
