**3.1. Soil and field analysis**

The use of UAVs for soil information sourcing is helpful at the early start of a crop cycle. The data collected helps in early soil analysis, and is also useful in planning seed planting patterns. These data can also assists the farmer in making irrigation plans as well as determining the quantity of fertilizer needed on the soil or field after planting. Using a data-driven approach, the farmers can improve the overall yield quantity of agricultural produce, while significantly saving on fertilizers and pesticides. All these are made possible through the analysis of remote images captured with UAV. UAV imagery also has a huge potential in designing site-specific weed control treatments. With the high resolution images, farmers can quickly and precisely spot weeds almost immediately they spring up and apply minimal pesticide to contain them. The authors in [12] developed an Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA) on a series of UAV images using six-band multi-spectral cameras on a maize field in Spain. While in [13] the technical specifications and configuration of a UAV which could be used to capture remote images for Early Season Site-Specific Weed Management (ESSWM) were given. The study also evaluated the image spatial and spectral properties necessary for weed seedling discrimination. They deployed an UAV equipped with multi spectral cameras and analyzed the technical specifications and configuration of the UAV to generate images at different attitudes; with the high spectral resolution required for the detection and location of weed seedlings in a sunflower field. The result of the study can be of help in the selection of an adequate sensor and configuration of the flight mission for ESSWM.
