Enhancing Precision Agriculture Through LiDAR and Multispectral Analysis for Management Zone Delimitation

Precision agriculture (PA) practitioners demand procedures for delimitation of site-specific management zones (SSMZs) for treating each of these zones in a particular manner. Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) systems are becoming increasingly popular among unmanned aerial vehicle-based (UAV) remote sensing practitioners. However, a valuable variable, LiDAR intensity, is generally poorly exploited. Herein, we analysed the potential of LiDAR intensity information with the aim of delimiting SSMZs, and we compared it with multispectral and RGB information obtained in bare soil conditions. We performed intensive field measurements of soil organic carbon (SOC), electrical conductivity (EC) using a ground penetrating radar (GPR), and saturated soil hydraulic conductivity (K s ) to understand the drivers of the obtained SSMZs. Near-infrared and red-edge bands of multispectral cameras supplied the most meaninful information to delimit SSMZs. LiDAR intensity of bare soil was correlated to crop development of the previous season, the higher the intensity the lower the crop development. Thus, it can describe the effect of soil on crop development. Regarding EC, the SSMZs delimit with LiDAR was correlated with EC at 0.5 m but not with EC at 1.5m. Slight or no differences were detected about SOC and K s for the different stablished zones. Although LiDAR sensor results were similar to those obtained by the use of multispectral cameras, it present advantages, such as avoiding shadow effects and the fact that can be operated at any time of the day, even at night, which facilitating its operability.