Automated Mapping of the Onset and Duration of Canola Flowering.

In-season acreage estimation and mapping of canola production is of interest to the oilseed processing supply chain. In addition, temporal information about the onset and duration of flowering is of interest for disease (e.g. sclerotinia) risk assessment and other production considerations. This study evaluates the use of freely available medium resolution satellite imagery for inventorying canola production. Locations of canola fields will be compared to agricultural reference data for accuracy assessment. A quantitative means to evaluate estimates for the timing of flowering is not yet developed for imaging at this scale so a qualitative assessment shall be provided.