Rice Yield Forecasting & Cultivated Paddy Area Identification- Major Paddy Cultivation Districts
Effective pre-harvest crop yield estimation is important for an assessment of seasonal production for strategic planning purposes. A reliable forecasting methodology helps to properly manage some unexpected situations (shortfall or surplus). Yield estimation performed in many countries utilizes very traditional methods.
In Sri Lanka “The crop cutting survey on paddy” is the method used to estimate the rice yield production. With this method, the estimations are available for each season after harvest. This traditional method is time-consuming and highly labour-intensive and the requirement for farmer cooperation is very high. Further, the methodology practised is prone to deviate from the actual figures due to incomplete field data collection and other numerous reasons.
Satellite and drone-based remote sensing technologies can provide researchers with cost-effectiveness and timely information for yield and production forecasts. Satellite remote sensing is popular and recognized as a powerful and useful technology for identifying agriculture crops. The ability to estimate seasonal crop yield before a substantial time to harvest is vital for strategic planning and proper decision-making regarding seasonal crop production.
This research project has been successfully completed for the 2021/Yala season for major paddy cultivation districts (i.e. Polonnaruwa, Ampara, Batticaloa, Hambantota, Anuradhapura, and Trincomalee,) in Sri Lanka.
