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Nithya Rajan Post-doctoral Research Associate Department of Plant and Soil Science Education 2007 Ph.D (Agronomy) 2004 M.Sc (Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry) 2001 B.Sc (Agriculture) Research Interests Agricultural remote sensing, precision farming, soil and water conservation, environmental crop physiology and micro-meteorology. |
Contact Information 3810, 4th Street Phone:(806)749-5560 (Office) Email: nithya.rajan@ttu.edu) |
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Recent Publication Rajan. N and S. J. Maas. 2009. Mapping crop ground cover using airborne multipsectral digital imagery, Precision Agriculture, Available Online Current Research Texas Alliance for water Conservation Demonstration Project (TAWC)
My research in TAWC is on developing a methodology for estimating crop water use (CWU) or crop evapotranspiration using remote sensing. The remote sensing data that I use in my study are Landsat, and aerial image data acquired using the Texas Tech Air-borne Multispectral Remote Sensing System (TTAMRSS). I am using the actual ET data measured using two mobile eddy covariance systems to validate the remotely sensed estimates of ET. Visit my project website, Texas Alliance for Water Conservation (TAWC) TAWC Demonstration Project area:
Agricultural Remote Sensing |
| As part of ongoing research, I regularly collect high resolution multispectral imagery of more than 30 farmers' fields in the Texas High Plains around Lubbock. One of the main uses of this imagery is constructing high resolution maps of crop ground cover. Currently, I am comparing the use of Perpendicular Vegetation Index (PVI) with Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) for estimating biophysical factors such as GC, LAI, and biomass. |  |
Precision Agriculture
I am currently conducting a study in cooperation with a local farmer to investigate the application of variable rate nitrogen in cotton using remote sensing. This study is being conducted in two fields, one with subsurface drip irrigation and the other with center pivot irrigation. Within season remote sensing imagery will be used to determine spatial variability of crop growth in the field, and guide the variable rate application of nitrogen.
Other Studies
- Estimation of forage biomass using remote sensing
- Carbon dynamics of agricultural fields
- Estimation of bare soil surface resistance using reflectance