Journal
PRECISION AGRICULTURE
Volume 19, Issue 1, Pages 147-160Publisher
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s11119-017-9505-x
Keywords
Optical sensor; Nitrogen fertilization; Proximal sensing
Categories
Funding
- Ministry of Science and Technology through the PROSENSAP
- Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) [2009/03372-0, 2011/08882-7]
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Nitrogen (N) fertilization is challenging for sugarcane, and machine-based canopy sensors appear as an alternative to allow variable-rate N fertilization. Top or sidedressing N is applied in each crop row and crop spatial variability behavior must be understood to allow proper sensor placement and applicator configurations in order to optimize N fertilization. Thus, the goal of this study was to investigate sugarcane crop variability and N prescription error when working with various sensor placements and boom sections. The approaches involved post-processing N prescription maps and real-time application, varying the number of sensors used and calculating the N rate for the applicator boom sections. Sugarcane fields show high crop variability due to their semi-perennial cropping system, which causes unpredictability of sensor readings from adjacent rows, ideally suggesting one sensor for each row in order to obtain more detailed plant-vigor information. Moreover, the machine must be able to apply fertilizer for each individual row to allow the most reliable application of N rate, ensuring optimization of crop response to variable-rate N application.
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