Spatio-temporal change monitoring of outside manure piles using unmanned aerial vehicle images

Abstract

Water quality deterioration due to outdoor loading of livestock manure requires efficient management of outside manure piles (OMPs). This study was designed to investigate OMPs using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for efficient management of non-point source pollution in agricultural areas. A UAV was used to acquire image data, and the distribution and cover installation status of OMPs were identified through ortho-images; the volumes of OMP were calculated using digital surface model (DSM). UAV-and terrestrial laser scanning (TLS)-derived DSMs were compared for identifying the accuracy of calculated volumes. The average volume accuracy was 92.45%. From April to October, excluding July, the monthly average volumes of OMPs in the study site ranged from 64.89 m3 to 149.69 m3 . Among the 28 OMPs investigated, 18 were located near streams or agricultural waterways. Establishing priority management areas among the OMP sites distributed in a basin is possible using spatial analysis, and it is expected that the application of UAV technology will contribute to the efficient management of OMPs and other non-point source pollutants.