Determining the height of cotton plants (Gossypium hirsutum L.) Malvaceae f. with the assistance of a drone

Abstract

The use of drones in crop assessment has become increasingly common. The use of drones presents benefits for evaluating the height of plants in various crops, including cotton, checking nutritional, phytosanitary, genetic parameters, abiotic and biotic effects. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of drones to aid in the evaluation of trials in cotton cultivation. The study was carried out at the Goiano Institute of Agriculture, located in the municipality of Montividiu, State 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 a digital model of the surface area in the cotton field. In the experimental design, 4 randomized blocks with 10 treatments were used. The results demonstrated that there was no difference between the four blocks for vegetative index. The digital surface model proved to be efficient in detecting possible differences between the analyzed blocks. This analysis is essential to understand variations in response to cotton cultivation in different blocks and identify possible factors that contribute to these differences.