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Evaluating a Satellite Remote Sensing and Calibration Strip-based Precision Nitrogen Management Strategy for Maize in Minnesota and Indiana

  • Katsutoshi Mizuta
  • , Ana C. Morales
  • , Lorena N. Lacerda
  • , Yuxin Miao
  • , Davide Cammarano
  • , Jeffrey A. Coulter
  • , Robert L. Nielsen
  • , Robert Gunzenhauser
  • , Brett McArtor
  • , Kevin Kuehner
  • , Seiya Wakahara
  • , David J. Mulla
  • , Daniel J. Quinn

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperpeer-review

Abstract

Precision nitrogen (N) management (PNM) aims to match N supply with crop N demand in both
space and time and has the potential to bring agronomic, economic, and environmental
benefits. A remote sensing and calibration strip-based PNM technology (RS-CS-PNM) has been
developed by the Precision Agriculture Center at the University of Minnesota. The objective of
this research was to evaluate the benefits of this RS-CS-PNM technology under on-farm
conditions compared with farmer’s normal practice (FNP). Commercial fields in Minnesota and
Indiana, USA were selected in 2021. A series of preplant N rate strips were set up based on the
farmer’s total N rate (FNR). Nitrogen rates included 35, 35, 70, and 100% FNR, with 3-5
replications depending on the field size, with the 130% FNR strip regarded as an N-rich strip.
Strips were further delineated into smaller sections (grids) ranging from 45 to 60 m long by the
original strip width. Adjacent grids that represented the range of all preplant N treatments were
considered as one transect. For the RS-CS-PNM technology, normalized difference vegetation
index (NDVI) was calculated from PlanetScope images (3 m resolution) around the V7-V9 corn
stage. Response curves were created with NDVI and the applied preplant N rates for each transect. Then, the sidedress N rate for the 35% and 70% FNR treatments were determined for
each grid from the transect-specific agronomic optimal N rate (AONR). The sidedress N rate for
one of the two 35% FNR strips in each replication was determined by the commercially
available Granular Nitrogen Management functionality powered by the Granular Crop Model
(GCM) in Granular Insights software. The results suggested the RS-CS-PNM technology
achieved higher grain yield and net economic return than the FNP despite lower N application
rates for both fields in Minnesota and Indiana. The RS-CS-PNM and GCM strategies resulted in
significantly higher partial factor productivity rates than FNP. The GCM statistically yielded a
higher residual nitrate-N rate at harvest. Further analysis and on-farm trials under different
weather and field conditions are required to evaluate the potential of PNM technology for the
agronomic, economic, and environmental benefits
Original languageAmerican English
Number of pages9
StatePublished - 2022
Event15th International Conference on Precision Agriculture - Minneapolis, United States
Duration: Jun 26 2022Jun 29 2022
https://www.ispag.org/icpa/History/15_ICPA

Conference

Conference15th International Conference on Precision Agriculture
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityMinneapolis
Period6/26/226/29/22
Internet address

Keywords

  • Precision nitrogen management
  • atellite remote sensing
  • Grain yield
  • Nitrogen use efficiency
  • Economic returns
  • Soil nitrate-nitrogen
  • On-farm trial

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