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Accuracy of a Global Positioning System (GPS) for Weed Mapping

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 June 2017

Theodore M. Webster  and
John Cardina
Theodore M. Webster
Affiliation:
Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Ohio State University, Wooster, OH 44691
John Cardina
Affiliation:
Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Ohio State University, Wooster, OH 44691
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Abstract

Experiments were conducted to test the accuracy of a global positioning system (GPS) in measuring the area of simulated weed patches of varying size and to determine the accuracy in navigating back to particular points in a field. Circular areas of 5, 50, and 500 m2 were established and measured using point and polygon features of a GPS. The GPS estimations of the area of those patches had errors ranging from 7 to 45%, 6 to 15%, and 3 to 6%, respectively, when compared to actual measurements. As patch size increased, errors decreased. A curve describing the relationship between GPS error and patch size had an excellent fit (r2 = 0.92). The error remained the same in all measurements across all patch sizes, but composed a smaller percentage of large patches. The GPS had submeter accuracy in navigation to the correct quadrat 73% of the time, located the correct quadrat 27% of the time, and invariably navigated to within 1.58 m of the correct quadrat. The relationship between patch size and measurement error was applied to natural infestations of hemp dogbane.

Keywords

Hemp dogbane, Apocynum cannabinum L. # APCCASpatial weed dynamicsvegetation mappingGeographical information system, GISglobal positioning system, GPShorizontal dilution of precision, HDOPposition dilution of precision, PDOPvertical dilution of precision, VDOP
Type
Research
Information
Weed Technology , Volume 11 , Issue 4 , December 1997 , pp. 782 - 786
Copyright
Copyright © 1997 by the Weed Science Society of America 

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References

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