Image monitoring for control of invasive grasses

A system for controlling weed, the system comprising;

• an image acquisition unit, wherein the image acquisition unit is configured to collect at least two while the image acquisition unit is moved relative to a geographical area, wherein the images display the geographical area at two or more points in time during a phenological cycle of a weed, including a first point in time and a second point in time, the first point in time being a time point at which the weed is at a first phenological stage and the second point in time being a time point at which the weed is at a second phenological stage;
• a spraying unit, comprising a receptable containing a herbicide for controlling a weed;
• locomotion means for moving the image acquisition unit and the spraying unit relative to the geographical area;
• and
• a processing unit configured to:
• receive the at least two images from the image acquisition unit;
• analyze the received and identify one or more areas in the images based on a spectral signature, the area(s) in the images showing geographical subareas, the geographical subareas being infested by the weed, wherein the spectral signature is characteristic of the weed at the two or more points in time during the phenological cycle of the weed, and wherein the spectral signature is caused by a transition of the weed from the first phenological stage into the second phenological stage;
• and
• cause the spraying unit to apply the herbicide to the geographical subareas.

A method for mapping a weed, the method comprising:

• receiving at least two images of a geographical area, wherein the images display the geographical area at two or more points in time during a phenological cycle of a weed, including a first point in time and a second point in time, the first point in time being a time point at which the weed is at a first phenological stage and the second point in time being a time point at which the weed is at a second phenological stage;
• analyzing the at least two and identifying one or more image area(s) in the at least two images, the image area(s) showing a spectral signature, wherein the spectral signature is characteristic of the weed at the two or more points in time during the phenological cycle of the weed, and wherein the spectral signature is caused by a transition of the weed from the first phenological stage into the second phenological stage;
• identifying one or more geographical subareas, the geographical subarea(s) corresponding to the identified image area(s);
• creating a weed distribution map of the geographical area on which the identified geographical subarea(s) is/are marked as (an) area(s) affected by the weed;
• displaying the weed distribution map on a monitor and/or storing the map in a data storage and/or transmitting the map to a separate computer system.