Enhancing Alfalfa Biomass Prediction: An Innovative Framework Using Remote Sensing Data

Abstract

Estimating pasture biomass has emerged as a promising avenue to assist farmers in identifying the best cutting times for maximizing biomass yield using satellite data. This study aims to develop an innovative framework integrating field and satellite data to estimate aboveground biomass in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) at farm scale. For this purpose, samples were collected throughout the 2022 growing season on different mowing dates at three fields in Kansas, USA. The satellite data employed comprised four sources: Sentinel-2, PlanetScope, Planet Fusion, and Biomass Proxy. A grid of hyperparameters was created to establish different combinations and select the best coefficients. The permutation feature importance technique revealed that the Planet’s PlanetScope near-infrared (NIR) band and the Biomass Proxy product were the predictive features with the highest contribution to the biomass prediction model’s. A Bayesian Additive Regression Tree (BART) was applied to explore its ability to build a predictive model. Its performance was assessed via statistical metrics (r2: 0.61; RMSE: 0.29 kg.m−2). Additionally, uncertainty quantifications were proposed with this framework to assess the range of error in the predictions. In conclusion, this integration in a nonparametric approach achieved a useful predicting tool with the potential to optimize farmers’ management decisions.