Automated time-lapse image capturing for monitoring runoff from sloping farmland

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24580381
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Agricultural information engineering
• Research Institution: Kagoshima University
• Principal Investigator: SHIBAYAMA Michio 鹿児島大学, 農学部, 教授 (10354060)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): ABE Kaoru 独立行政法人農業環境技術研究所, 物質循環研究領域, 領域長 (70355551) ; ITAHASHI Sunao 独立行政法人農業環境技術研究所, 物質循環研究領域, 主任研究員 (80354009)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): BANZAI Kenji 独立行政法人農業環境技術研究所, 物質循環研究領域, 専門員 (90370296)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 傾斜農耕地 / 流出 / 画像解析

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The increased incidence of intense rainfall events in recent years has prompted concern about the increased environmental loading due to elevated levels of suspended solids (SS), nutrient salts and heavy-metals such as Zn in surface runoffs from sloping farmlands.
We devised an automated system that recorded color images of the field surface during rainfalls, measured the runoff volume and collected samples of runoff water for subsequent chemical analyses. Using observed data, we modified an empirical model describing dynamics of rainfall-induced runoff volume for Andosols. Chemical analyses showed that a large portion of Zn was strongly absorbed to SS. The time-lapse images provided volumes of accumulated muddy water appearing at the bottom of sloping plot during runoff, and that were correlated to the measured volumes of runoff water. We also showed that the moving picture captured the flow velocity of the surface runoff. Thus images may be usable for instant runoff estimation.

Free Research Field

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