Feasibility and reliability of agricultural crop height measurement using the laser sensor array

Abstract

Crop height measurement is widely used to analyze and estimate the overall crop condition and the amount of biomass production. Not only is manual measurement on a large scale time-consuming but also it is not practical. Besides, advanced equipment is available but they require technical skills and are not reasonable for smallholders. This article investigates the feasibility of a simple and low-cost measurement system that can monitor crops height of paddy rice and wheat using laser technology. After designing and fabricating, this system was tested and evaluated in both laboratory and farm sections. In the laboratory, paddy rice height was measured, and in the field section, the height detection system measured wheat height. The results showed that the coefficient of determination (R²) between manual measurement and height detection system measurement for paddy rice was 0.96 and for wheat was 0.85. Besides, there was no significant difference between the two datasets at the level of 5%. Hence, this system can be a useful and accurate tool to monitor crops height in different growing steps.