FORECASTING MAIZE YIELD USING REMOTE SENSING

The study aimed at evaluating the relationship between NDVI and maize yield at Makande prison farm in Thyolo district. The data used in the study were remotely sensed images, and crop yield statistics of years 2019 to 2021. Images used were obtained using the Sentinel-2 satellite constellation, which is part of the Copernicus program, and were acquired using QGIS and were processed. NDVI was used with an empirical regression model to estimate maize yield. The predicted yield was correlated with the actual yield using linear regression. A correlation coefficient of 0.99, R2= 98.8%, and root mean error square and mean absolute error of 0.1779 and 0.119 in that order were established. The findings illustrated a very strong correlation between NDVI and maize yield. The study recommends that the use of more satellite images and yield data for not less than 6 years will help to increase the prediction accuracy.

The study aimed at evaluating the relationship between NDVI and maize yield at Makande prison farm in Thyolo district. Images used were obtained using the Sentinel-2 satellite constellation, which is part of the Copernicus program, and were acquired using QGIS and were processed. A correlation coefficient of 0.99, R2= 98.8%, and root mean error square and mean absolute error of 0.1779 and 0.119 in that order were established. The study recommends that the use of more satellite images and yield data for not less than 6 years will help to increase the prediction accuracy.

Makande Prison Farm is found in Chimaliro Traditional Authority in Thyolo district. It is located at 15°57'56.89"S and 35°15'37.91"E, 21 km East of Thyolo township. It is 14 hectares in size. The area has red-brown, residual clay soils on top of its geology. These soils are derived from the breakdown of ferromagnesian constituents of gneisses and diorite dikes. Black cotton clays and sandy clay soils overlay the red-brown residual clay soils.
Lateritic concretions are also common in the soils. Its underlain by migmatic gneisses and granulites is referred to as the Malawi Basement Complex (Geological Survey Department, 1973).

Traditional authority: TA Chimaliro

District: Thyolo

Coordinates: -15.9729, 35.19975