Remote sensing as a tool to assess botanical composition, structure, quantity and quality of temperate grasslands

Abstract

AbstractGrassland systems frequently exhibit small‐scale botanical and structural heterogeneity with pronounced spatio‐temporal dynamics. These features present particular challenges for sensor applications, in addition to limitations posed by the high cost and low spatial resolution of many available remote‐sensing (RS) systems. There has been little commercial application of RS for practical grassland farming. This article considers the developments in sensor performance, data analysis and modelling over recent decades, identifies significant advances in RS for grassland research and practice and reviews the most important sensor types and corresponding findings in research. Beside improvements of single sensor types, the development of systems with complementary sensors is seen as a very promising research area, and one that will help to overcome the limitations of single sensors and provide better information about grassland composition, yield and quality. From an agronomic point of view, thematic maps of farm fields are suggested as the central outcome of RS and data analysis. These maps could represent the relevant grassland features and constitute the basis for various farm management decisions at strategic, tactical and operational levels. The overarching goal will be to generate low cost, appropriate and timely information that can be provided to farmers to support their decision‐making.