Developing a new Crop Circle active canopy sensor-based precision nitrogen management strategy for winter wheat in North China Plain

Active canopy sensor (ACS)—based precision nitrogen (N) management (PNM) is a promising strategy to improve crop N use efficiency (NUE). The GreenSeeker (GS) sensor with two fixed bands has been applied to improve winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) N management in North China Plain (NCP). The Crop Circle (CC) ACS-470 active sensor is user configurable with three wavebands. The objective of this study was to develop a CC ACS-470 sensor-based PNM strategy for winter wheat in NCP and compare it with GS sensor-based N management strategy, soil N_min test-based in-season N management strategy and conventional farmer’s practice. Four site-years of field N rate experiments were conducted from 2009 to 2013 to identify optimum CC vegetation indices for estimating early season winter wheat plant N uptake (PNU) and grain yield in Quzhou Experiment Station of China Agricultural University located in Hebei province of NCP. Another nine on-farm experiments were conducted at three different villages in Quzhou County in 2012/2013 to evaluate the performance of the developed N management strategy. The results indicated that the CC ACS-470 sensor could significantly improve estimation of early season PNU (R² = 0.78) and grain yield (R² = 0.62) of winter wheat over GS sensor (R² = 0.60 and 0.33, respectively). All three in-season N management strategies achieved similar grain yield as compared with farmer’s practice. The three PNM strategies all significantly reduced N application rates and increased N partial factor productivity (PFP) by an average of 61–67 %. It is concluded that the CC sensor can improve estimation of early season winter wheat PNU and grain yield as compared to the GS sensor, but the PNM strategies based on these two sensors perform equally well for improving winter wheat NUE in NCP. More studies are needed to further develop and evaluate these active sensor-based PNM strategies under more diverse on-farm conditions.     

A comparison of crop data measured by two commercial sensors for variable-rate nitrogen application

Nitrogen (N) fertilizer rates applied spatially according to crop requirements can improve the efficiency of N use. The study compares the performance of two commercial sensors, the Yara N-Sensor/FieldScan (Yara International ASA, Germany) and the GreenSeeker (NTech Industries Inc., Ukiah, California, USA), for assessing the status of N in spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and corn (Zea mays L.). Four experiments were conducted at different locations in Quebec and Ontario, Canada. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was determined with the two sensors at specific growth stages. The NDVI values derived from Yara N-Sensor/FieldScan correlated with those from GreenSeeker, but only at the early growth stages, where the NDVI values varied from 0.2 to 0.6. Both sensors were capable of describing the N condition of the crop or variation in the stand, but each sensor had its own sensitivity characteristics. It follows that the algorithms developed with one sensor for variable-rate N application cannot be transferred directly to another sensor. The Yara N-Sensor/FieldScan views the crop at an oblique angle over the rows and detects more biomass per unit of soil surface compared to the GreenSeeker with its nadir (top-down) view of the crop. The Yara N-Sensor/FieldScan should be used before growth stage V5 for corn during the season if NDVI is used to derive crop N requirements. GreenSeeker performed well where NDVI values were >0.5. However, unlike GreenSeeker, the Yara N-Sensor/FieldScan can also record spectral information from wavebands other than red and near infrared, and more vegetation indices can be derived that might relate better to N status than NDVI.     

Methodology for measuring fAPAR in crops using a combination of active optical and linear irradiance sensors: a case study in Triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack)

The amount of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, 0.4–0.7 μm) absorbed by plants for photosynthesis relative to incident radiation is defined as the fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (fAPAR). This is an important variable in both plant biomass production and plant growth modeling. This study investigates the application of a newly developed, linear irradiance sensor (LightScout Quantum Bar Sensor, LightScout, Spectrum Technologies, Inc. USA), to quantify fAPAR for a demonstrator crop, Triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack). A protocol was devised for sensor placement to determine reflected PAR components of fAPAR and to determine the optimal time of day and sensor orientation for data collection. Coincident, top of canopy, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) measurements were also acquired with a CropCircle? ACS-210 sensor and measurements correlated with derived fAPAR values. The optimum height of the linear irradiance sensor above soil or plant canopy was found to be 0.4 m while measuring reflected PAR. Measurement of fAPAR was found to be stable when conducted within 1 h of local solar noon in order to avoid significant bidirectional effects resulting from diurnal changes of leaf orientation relative to the vertically-placed sensor. In the row crop studied, averaging fAPAR readings derived from the linear irradiance sensor orientated across and along the plant row provided an R² = 0.81 correlation with above-canopy NDVI. Across row sensor orientation also gave a similar correlation of R² = 0.76 allowing the user to reduce sampling time.     

Monitoring nitrogen,phosphorus and sulphur in hybrid rice (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Oryza sativa</Emphasis> L.) using hyperspectral remote sensing

Till date, the remote sensing research on crop nutrient monitoring has focused mainly on biomass and nitrogen (N) estimation and only a few attempts had been made to characterize and monitor macronutrients other than N. Field experiments were undertaken to study the remote detection of macronutrient status of rice using hyperspectral remote sensing. The variability in soil available N, phosphorus (P) and sulphur (S) and their content in plants were created using artificial fertility gradient design. The leaf and canopy hyperspectral reflectance was captured from variable macronutrient status vegetation. Linear correlation analysis between the spectral reflectance and plant nutrient status revealed significantly (p < 0.05) higher correlation coefficient at 670, 700, 730, 1090, 1260, 1460 nm for the nutrient under study. Published and proposed vegetation indices (VIs) were tested for canopy N, P and S prediction. The results of the investigation revealed that, published VIs (NDVI hyper and NDVI broadbands) could retrieve canopy N with higher accuracy, but not P and S. The predictability of the visible and short wave infrared based VI NRI₁₅₁₀ ((R₁₅₁₀ ? R₆₆₀)/(R₁₅₁₀ + R₆₆₀)) was the highest (r = 0.81, p < 0.01) for predicting N. Based on the outcomes of linear correlation analysis new VIs were proposed for remote detection of P and S. Proposed VI P_670_1260 ((R₁₂₆₀ ? R₆₇₀)/(R₁₂₆₀ + R₆₇₀)) retrieved canopy P status with higher prediction accuracy (r = 0.67, p < 0.01), whereas significantly higher canopy S prediction (r = 0.58, p < 0.01) was obtained using VI S_670_1090 ((R₁₀₉₀ ? R₆₇₀)/(R₁₀₉₀ + R₆₇₀)). The proposed spectral algorithms could be used for real time and site-specific N, P and S management in rice. Nutrient specific wavelengths, identified in the present investigation, could be used for developing relatively low-cost sensors of hand-held instruments to monitor N, P and S status of rice plant.     

Application of day and night digital photographs for estimating maize biophysical characteristics

In this study, an inexpensive camera-observation system called the Crop Phenology Recording System (CPRS), which consists of a standard digital color camera (RGB cam) and a modified near-infrared (NIR) digital camera (NIR cam), was applied to estimate green leaf area index (LAI), total LAI, green leaf biomass and total dry biomass of stalks and leaves of maize. The CPRS was installed for the 2009 growing season over a rainfed maize field at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Agricultural Research and Development Center near Mead, NE, USA. The vegetation indices called Visible Atmospherically Resistant Index (VARI) and two green–red–blue (2g–r–b) were calculated from day-time RGB images taken by the standard commercially-available camera. The other vegetation index called Night-time Relative Brightness Index in NIR (NRBI_NIR) was calculated from night-time flash NIR images taken by the modified digital camera on which a NIR band-pass filter was attached. Sampling inspections were conducted to measure bio-physical parameters of maize in the same experimental field. The vegetation indices were compared with the biophysical parameters for a whole growing season. The VARI was found to accurately estimate green LAI (R² = 0.99) and green leaf biomass (R² = 0.98), as well as track seasonal changes in maize green vegetation fraction. The 2g–r–b was able to accurately estimate total LAI (R² = 0.97). The NRBI_NIR showed the highest accuracy in estimation of the total dry biomass weight of the stalks and leaves (R² = 0.99). The results show that the camera-observation system has potential for the remote assessment of maize biophysical parameters at low cost.     

Development of an in-season estimate of yield potential utilizing optical crop sensors and soil moisture data for winter wheat

When utilizing optical sensors to make in-season agronomic recommendations in winter wheat, one parameter often required is the in-season grain yield potential at the time of sensing. Current estimates use an estimate of biomass, such as normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and growing degree days (GDDs) from planting to NDVI data collection. The objective of this study was to incorporate soil moisture data to improve the ability to predict final grain yield in-season. Crop NDVI, GDDs that were adjusted based upon if there was adequate water for crop growth, and the amount of soil profile (0–0.80 m) water were incorporated into a multiple linear regression model to predict final grain yield. Twenty-two site-years of N fertility trials with in-season grain yield predictions for growth stages ranging from Feekes 3 to 10 were utilized to calibrate the model. Three models were developed: one for all soil types, one for loamy soil textured sites, and one for coarse soil textured sites. The models were validated with 11 independent site-years of NDVI and weather data. The results indicated there was no added benefit to having separate models based upon soil types. Typically, the models that included soil moisture, more accurately predicted final grain yield. Across all site years and growth stages, yield prediction estimates that included soil moisture had an R² = 0.49, while the current model without a soil moisture adjustment had an R² = 0.40.     

Evaluating the performance of xanthophyll,chlorophyll and structure-sensitive spectral indices to detect water stress in five fruit tree species

This study assessed the capability of several xanthophyll, chlorophyll and structure-sensitive spectral indices to detect water stress in a commercial farm consisting of five fruit tree crop species with contrasting phenology and canopy architecture. Plots irrigated and non-irrigated for eight days of each species were used to promote a range of plant water status. Multi-spectral and thermal images were acquired from an unmanned aerial system while concomitant measurements of stomatal conductance (g_s), stem water potential (Ψ_s) and photosynthesis were taken. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), red-edge ratio (R₇₀₀/R₆₇₀), Transformed Chlorophyll Absorption in Reflectance Index normalized by the Optimized Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (TCARI/OSAVI), the Photochemical Reflectance Index using reflectance at 530 (PRI) and 515 nm [PRI_(570–515)] and the normalized PRI (PRI_norm) were obtained from the narrow-band multi-spectral images and the relationship with the in-field measurements explored. Results showed that within the Prunus species, Ψ_s yielded the best correlations with PRI and PRI_(570–515) (r² = 0.53) in almond trees, with TCARI/OSAVI (r² = 0.88) in apricot trees and with PRI_norm, R₇₀₀/R₆₇₀ and NDVI (r² from 0.72 to 0.88) in peach trees. Weak or no correlations were found for the Citrus species due to the low level of water stress reached by the trees. Results from the sensitivity analysis pointed out the canopy temperature (T_c) and PRI_(570–515) as the first and second most sensitive indicators to the imposed water conditions in all the crops with the exception of apricot trees, in which Ψ_s was the most sensitive indicator at midday. PRI_norm was the least sensitive index among all the water stress indicators studied. When all the crops were analyzed together, PRI_(570–515) and NDVI were the indices that better correlations yielded with Crop Water Stress Index, g_s and, particularly, Ψ_s (r² = 0.61 and 0.65, respectively). This work demonstrated the feasibility of using narrow-band multispectral-derived indices to retrieve water status for a variety of crop species with contrasting phenology and canopy architecture.     

Active remote sensing and grain yield in irrigated maize

Advances in agricultural technology have led to the development of active remote sensing equipment that can potentially optimize N fertilizer inputs. The objective of this study was to evaluate a hand-held active remote sensing instrument to estimate yield potential in irrigated maize. This study was done over two consecutive years on two irrigated maize fields in eastern Colorado. At the six- to eight-leaf crop growth stage, the GreenSeeker? active remote sensing unit was used to measure red and NIR reflectance of the crop canopy. Soil samples were taken before side-dressing from the plots at the time of sensing to determine nitrate concentration. Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) was calculated from the reflectance data and then divided by the number of days from planting to sensing, where growing degrees were greater than zero. An NDVI-ratio was calculated as the ratio of the reflectance of an area of interest to that of an N-rich portion of the field. Regression analysis was used to model grain yield. Grain yields ranged from 5 to 24 Mg ha^?1. The coefficient of determination ranged from 0.10 to 0.76. The data for both fields in year 1 were modeled and cross-validated using data from both fields for year 2. The coefficient of determination of the best fitting model for year 1 was 0.54. The NDVI-ratio had a significant relationship with observed grain yield (r ² = 0.65). This study shows that the GreenSeeker? active sensor has the potential to estimate grain yield in irrigated maize; however, improvements need to be made.     

Simple method for extracting the seasonal signals of photochemical reflectance index and normalized difference vegetation index measured using a spectral reflectance sensor

A spectral reflectance sensor(SRS) fixed on the near-surface ground was developed to support the continuous monitoring of vegetation indices such as the normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI) and photochemical reflectance index(PRI). NDVI is useful for indicating crop growth/phenology, whereas PRI was developed for observing physiological conditions. Thus, the seasonal change patterns of NDVI and PRI are two valuable pieces of information in a crop-monitoring system. However, capturing the seasonal patterns is considered challenging because the vegetation index values estimated by the reflection from vegetation are often governed by meteorological conditions, such as solar irradiance and precipitation. Further, unlike growth/phenology, the physiological condition has diurnal changes as well as seasonal characteristics. This study proposed a novel filtering method for extracting the seasonal signals of SRS-based NDVI and PRI in paddy rice, barley, and garlic. First, the measurement accuracy of SRSs was compared with handheld spectrometers, and the R~2 values between the two devices were 0.96 and 0.81 for NDVI and PRI, respectively. Second, the experimental study of threshold criteria with respect to meteorological variables(i.e., insolation, cloudiness, sunshine duration, and precipitation) was conducted, and sunshine duration was the most useful one for excluding distorted values of the vegetation indices. After data processing based on sunshine duration, the R2 values between the measured vegetation indices and the extracted seasonal signals of vegetation indices increased by approximately 0.002–0.004(NDVI) and 0.065–0.298(PRI) on the three crops, and the seasonal signals of vegetation indices became noticeably improved. This method will contribute to an agricultural monitoring system by identifying the seasonal changes in crop growth and physiological conditions.     

基于高光谱技术的覆膜旱作水稻植株氮含量及籽粒产量估算

为建立利用光谱技术快速诊断覆膜旱作水稻植株氮营养和产量的估算模型,应用高光谱技术分析了长江中下游覆膜旱作区水稻拔节期和抽穗期内5种不同施氮水平(0、60、120、180和240kg/hm~2(N))下植株冠层光谱特征及其与植株氮素含量和产量的关系,并分别构建了植株含氮量和产量的估算模型。结果表明:拔节期和抽穗期内不同供氮水平下冠层光谱的变化规律基本一致,均随着供氮水平的增加,反射率在可见光区降低、在近红外区增大。覆膜旱作水稻植株氮含量与552和890nm 2个敏感波段构成的比值(RVI)和绿色归一化植被指数(GNDVI)的关系最佳。构建的水稻关键生育期植株全氮含量及水稻产量的估算模型预测效果均较好,其中植株全氮含量拟合方程的决定系数为0.730~0.808,采用拔节期的RVI对覆膜旱作水稻进行估产的决定系数达到0.724。本研究构建的模型可以用来估计该地区覆膜旱作水稻的氮素营养状况和作物产量。     

Spectral and spatial differences in response of vegetation indices to nitrogen treatments on apple

Handheld chlorophyll sensors and remote sensing are two nondestructive approaches for estimating plant nitrogen (N) status, which are now commercially available. In this paper we address three questions on the application of these technologies in perennial fruit trees: (1) can individual leaf meter measurements be used to predict N status for surrounding trees?, (2) are narrow band indices more sensitive than the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) to differences in plant N?, and (3) is NDVI from satellite remote sensing correlated to leaf level vegetation indices? We evaluated data from a N rate trial conducted in a commercial Fuji apple orchard (Malus domestica Borkh. cv. ‘Fuji’). SPAD and CM1000 handheld chlorophyll meters and reflectance measurements using a portable spectrometer were made on individual leaves three or four times during each growing season. The reflectance measurements were used to determine NDVI and three narrow band vegetation indices. Satellite imagery from the Quickbird sensor was acquired two or three times during each growing season and used to generate NDVI for individual trees. The leaf meter measurements and vegetation indices were compared with the N application rate and plant N status measured as total leaf tissue N.We evaluated how well single leaf meter measurements predict N status for surrounding trees by calculating the differences between actual and estimated N applications from individual measurements. On average, a sample of 12 leaves (from the same treatment and same measurement date) resulted in an estimation error of 30 kg ha⁻¹ for either the SPAD or the CM1000 sensor, representing almost half of the range in N treatment rates. To evaluate any improvement in prediction of applied N using narrow band indices, we used analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare three narrow band indices with the leaf meters and NDVI measured at leaf and canopy levels. Two narrow band indices, red edge vegetation stress index (RVSI) and modified chlorophyll absorption in reflectance index (MCARI) had higher F-values (31 and 41, respectively) than did NDVI from leaf level measurements (26), from satellite NDVI (6), or the CM1000 chlorophyll meter (12). The ANOVA results support improvements in leaf sensors using index values other than NDVI. We found that NDVI from satellite imagery acquired close to the leaf level measurement dates were positively correlated to the chlorophyll sensors and vegetation indices. When the data was averaged to the experiment plot level (twelve leaves total), the correlation coefficients between the satellite NDVI and the other sensors ranged from 0.68 for NDVI from leaf level reflectance to 0.84 with the CM1000 chlorophyll meter. Given the level of correlations, remote sensing might be a useful tool to extrapolate handheld measurements spatially throughout an orchard.     

Utility of Remote Sensing in Predicting Crop and Soil Characteristics

Remote sensing during the production season can provide visual indications of crop growth along with the geographic locations of those areas. A grid coordinate system was used to sample cotton and soybean fields to determine the relationship between spectral radiance, soil parameters, and cotton and soybean yield. During the 2 years of this study, mid- to late-season correlation coefficients between spectral radiance and yield generally ranged from 0.52 to 0.87. These correlation coefficients were obtained using the green–red ratio and a vegetation index similar to the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) using the green and red bands. After 102 days after planting (DAP), the ratio vegetation index (RVI), difference vegetation index (DVI), NDVI, and soil-adjusted vegetation index (SAVI) generally provided correlation coefficients from 0.54 to 0.87. Correlation coefficients for cotton plant height measurements taken 57 and 66 DAP during 2000 ranged from 0.51 to 0.76 for all bands, ratios, and indices examined, with the exception of Band 4 (720nm). The most consistent correlation coefficients for soybean yield were obtained 89–93 DAP, corresponding to peak vegetative production and early pod set, using RVI, DVI, NDVI, and SAVI. Correlation coefficients generally ranged from 0.52 to 0.86. When the topographic features and soil nutrient data were analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA), the interaction between the crop canopy, topographic features, and soil parameters captured in the imagery allowed the formation of predictive models, indicating soil factors were influencing crop growth and could be observed by the imagery. The optimum time during 1999 and 2000 for explaining the largest amount of variability for cotton growth occurred during the period from first bloom to first open boll, with R values ranging from 0.28 to 0.70. When the PCA-stepwise regression analysis was performed on the soybean fields, R ² values were obtained ranging from 0.43 to 0.82, 15 DAP, and ranged from 0.27 to 0.78, 55–130 DAP. The use of individual bands located in the green, red, and NIR, ratios such as RVI and DVI, indices such as NDVI, and stepwise regression procedures performed on the cotton and soybean fields performed well during the cotton and soybean production season, though none of these single bands, ratios, or indices was consistent in the ability to correlate well with crop and soil characteristics over multiple dates within a production season. More research needs to be conducted to determine whether a certain image analysis method will be needed on a field-by-field basis, or whether multiple analysis procedures will need to be performed for each imagery date in order to provide reliable estimates of crop and soil characteristics.     

基于双波段光谱仪CGMD-302的小麦叶面积指数和叶干重监测

为探究双波段光谱仪CGMD-302在监测小麦长势上的可靠性与精准性,同时使用高光谱仪UniSpec SC与双波段光谱仪CGMD-302测试各生育时期小麦冠层信息,并定量分析了植被指数NDVI、RVI、DVI与叶面积指数和叶片干重之间的线性关系。结果表明,基于相同波段反射率计算出的高光谱仪植被指数和双波段光谱仪植被指数均能较好监测小麦群体长势。在CGMD-302监测的叶面积指数模型中,拟合方程的决定系数(R~2)均高于0.89,用以检验模型的均方根误差(RMSE)和相对误差(RE)分别小于0.792和0.225;叶片干重模型中,决定系数(R2)均高于0.85,用以检验模型的均方根误差(RMSE)和相对误差(RE)分别小于440kg/hm~2和0.239。通过分析发现,施氮270kg/hm~2既能保证产量又能兼顾品质,可作为适宜施氮量。适宜施氮量下,拔节期和孕穗期小麦适宜叶面积指数分别为:3.65±0.09和5.95±0.32;适宜叶干重分别为:(1 554±168)和(2 231±130)kg/hm~2。结合CGMD-302监测模型可推算出拔节期和孕穗期适宜冠层群体的植被指数区间并应用于冠层群体诊断。     

Combining leaf fluorescence and active canopy reflectance sensing technologies to diagnose maize nitrogen status across growth stages

Rapid methods allowing for non-destructive crop monitoring are imperative for accurate in-season nitrogen (N) status assessment and precision N management. The objectives of this paper were to (1) compare the performance of a leaf fluorescence sensor Dualex 4 and an active canopy reflectance sensor Crop Circle ACS-430 for estimating maize (Zea mays L.) N status indicators across growth stages; (2) evaluate the potential of N status prediction across growth stages using the reflectance parameters acquired from the canopy sensor at an early growth stage; and, (3) investigate the prospect of combining the active canopy sensor and leaf fluorescence sensor data to estimate N nutrition index (NNI) indirectly using a general model across growth stages. The results indicated that data from both sensors were closely related to NNI across stages. However, using the direct NNI estimation method, among the tested indices, only the N balance index (NBI) could diagnose N status satisfactorily, based on the Kappa statistics. The effect of growth stages on proximal sensing was reduced by incorporating the information of days after sowing. It was found that the leaf fluorescence sensor performed relatively better in estimating plant N concentration whereas the canopy reflectance sensor performed better in aboveground biomass estimation. Their combination significantly improved the reliability of N diagnosis, including NNI prediction. In addition, the study confirmed that N status can be assessed by predicting aboveground biomass at the later stages using the canopy reflectance measurements at an early stage. Furthermore, the integrated NBI was verified to be a more robust and sensitive N status indicator than the chlorophyll concentration index. It is concluded that combining active canopy sensor data, of an early growth stage (e.g. V8), with leaf fluorescence sensor data, modified using days after sowing, can improve the accuracy of corn N status diagnosis across growth stages.

     

Predicting cover crop biomass by lightweight UAS-based RGB and NIR photography: an applied photogrammetric approach

Easy-to-capture and robust plant status indicators are important factors when implementing precision agriculture techniques on fields. In this study, aerial red, green and blue color space (RGB) photography and near-infrared (NIR) photography was performed on an experimental field site with nine different cover crops. A lightweight unmanned aerial system (UAS) served as platform, consumer cameras as sensors. Photos were photogrammetrically processed to orthophotos and digital surface models (DSMs). In a first validation step, the spatial precision of RGB orthophotos (x and y, ± 0.1 m) and DSMs (z, ± 0.1 m) was determined. Then, canopy cover (CC), plant height (PH), normalized differenced vegetation index (NDVI), red edge inflection point (REIP), and green red vegetation index (GRVI) were extracted. In a second validation step, the PHs derived from the DSMs were compared with ground truth ruler measurements. A strong linear relationship was observed (R ² = 0.80?0.84). Finally, destructive biomass samples were taken and compared with the remotely-sensed characteristics. Biomass correlated best with plant height (PH), and good approximations with linear regressions were found (R ² = 0.74 for four selected species, R ² = 0.58 for all nine species). CC and the vegetation indices (VIs) showed less significant and less strong overall correlations, but performed well for certain species. It is therefore evident that the use of DSM-based PHs provides a feasible approach to a species-independent non-destructive biomass determination, where the performance of VIs is more species-dependent.     

Crop height variability detection in a single field by multi-temporal terrestrial laser scanning

Information on crop height, crop growth and biomass distribution is important for crop management and environmental modelling. For the determination of these parameters, terrestrial laser scanning in combination with real-time kinematic GPS (RTK–GPS) measurements was conducted in a multi-temporal approach in two consecutive years within a single field. Therefore, a time-of-flight laser scanner was mounted on a tripod. For georeferencing of the point clouds, all eight to nine positions of the laser scanner and several reflective targets were measured by RTK–GPS. The surveys were carried out three to four times during the growing periods of 2008 (sugar-beet) and 2009 (mainly winter barley). Crop surface models were established for every survey date with a horizontal resolution of 1 m, which can be used to derive maps of plant height and plant growth. The detected crop heights were consistent with observations from panoramic images and manual measurements (R² = 0.53, RMSE = 0.1 m). Topographic and soil parameters were used for statistical analysis of the detected variability of crop height and significant correlations were found. Regression analysis (R² < 0.31) emphasized the uncertainty of basic relations between the selected parameters and crop height variability within one field. Likewise, these patterns compared with the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) derived from satellite imagery show only minor significant correlations (r < 0.44).     

融合无人机光谱信息与纹理信息的冬小麦生物量估测

【目的】生物量是表征植被生命活动的重要参数,对植被长势监测、产量预测有重要意义。以无人机为平台的高光谱遥感技术,具有机动灵活、成本低、空间覆盖广的优势,能够及时准确地估测植被生物量,已成为遥感估算研究的热点之一。由于光谱特征反演生物量存在饱和问题,因此,本研究尝试结合纹理特征与植被指数构建一种"图-谱"融合指标,探究"图-谱"融合指标的抗饱和能力及生物量估测能力。【方法】首先,利用无人机高光谱影像,提取其光谱信息和纹理信息,分别基于植被指数和纹理特征构建生物量模型。其次,针对光谱特征存在的饱和问题,将植被指数与对生物量敏感的纹理指标相乘或相除两种形式构建"图-谱"融合指标,分析"图-谱"融合指标的饱和性,并基于"图-谱"融合指标构建生物量估算模型。最后,对比不同指标构建的生物量模型的估测效果,来分析"图-谱"融合指标估测生物量的能力。【结果】(1)植被指数多在LAI=5时出现饱和现象,而"图-谱"融合指标VI×sm658,VI/ent658,VI/dis658,VI/con658,VI/dis514,VI/con514,VI/var514,VI×con802,VI×dis802均在LAI5时才出现饱和现象,相比之下,这些"图-谱"融合指标一定程度上改善了饱和问题;(2)与植被指数相比(除了GNDVI、NDVI之外),抗饱和能力提高的"图-谱"融合指标VI×sm658、VI/ent658、VI/dis658、VI/con658、VI/dis514、VI/con514、VI/var514、VI×con802、VI×dis802,其与生物量的相关性也相对提高,所构建的生物量模型精度较高(R2=0.81,RMSE=826.02 kg·hm-2)。(3)对比单一植被指数、纹理特征,将纹理特征与光谱特征相结合的"图-谱"融合指标估算小麦生物量的能力相对最强,模型精度明显高于单一植被指数(R2=0.69)和单一纹理特征(R2=0.71)构建的生物量模型。【结论】"图-谱"融合指标的抗饱和能力明显提高,其构建的生物量模型精度也有效提高,实现了结合光谱信息和纹理信息的冬小麦生物量遥感估测,为生物量定量反演提供一种新思路。     

Variable-rate nitrogen fertilization of winter wheat under high spatial resolution

Variable-rate application (VRA) addresses in-field variation in soil nitrogen (N) availability and crop response, and as such is a tool for more effective site-specific management. This study assessed the performance of a VRA system for on-the-go delivery of granular fertilizer in 7-m wide and 200-m long strips of a 2.4-ha wheat field. A randomized complete block design consisted of three treatment strips (a preplant uniform application of 100 kg N/ha, a preplant + in-season uniform farmer rate of 212 kg N/ha and a preplant + in-season VRA) within four blocks. The VRA prototype consisted of Crop Circle ACS-430 active canopy sensors, a GeoScout X data logger that processed the geospatial data to convey a real-time N rate signal (1 Hz) to a Gandy Orbit Air 66FSC spreader through a Raven SCS 660 controller. Crop monitoring included analysis of in-season soil and plant samples, water balance and grain yield. VRA delivered an economic optimum N rate using 72% less in-season N or 38% less total N (131 kg N/ha) than that applied by the farmer (212 kg N/ha). The reduction of total N inputs came about without any yield losses and translated to 58% N-use efficiency in comparison to 44% of the farmer practice and 52% of the preplant control. VRA also provided a much higher revenue over fertilizer costs, €68/ha and €118/ha higher than the preplant control and the farmer practice, respectively. The return of VRA per unit of N was equal to that of the large preplant application due to low leaching losses. Overall, the high-resolution VRA was superior in terms of environmental benefits and profitability with the least uncertainty to the farmer.     

Evaluation of two crop canopy sensors for nitrogen variability determination in irrigated maize

Advances in precision agriculture technology have led to the development of ground-based active remote sensors that can determine normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Studies have shown that NDVI is highly related to leaf nitrogen (N) content in maize (Zea mays L.). Remotely sensed NDVI can provide valuable information regarding in-field N variability and significant relationships between sensor NDVI and maize grain yield have been reported. While numerous studies have been conducted using active sensors, none have focused on the comparative effectiveness of these sensors in maize under semi-arid irrigated field conditions. Therefore, the objectives of this study were (1) to determine the performance of two active remote sensors by determining each sensor’s NDVI relationship with maize N status and grain yield as driven by different N rates in a semi-arid irrigated environment and, (2) to determine if inclusion of ancillary soil or plant data (soil NO₃ concentration, leaf N concentration, SPAD chlorophyll and plant height) would affect these relationships. Results indicated that NDVI readings from both sensors had high r ² values with applied N rate and grain yield at the V12 and V14 maize growth stages. However, no single or multiple regression using soil or plant variables substantially increased the r ² over using NDVI alone. Overall, both sensors performed well in the determination of N variability in irrigated maize at the V12 and V14 growth stages and either sensor could be an important tool to aid precision N management.     

A light-weight multi-spectral aerial imaging system for nitrogen crop monitoring

Image-based remote sensing is one promising technique for precision crop management. In this study, the use of an ultra light aircraft (ULA) equipped with broadband imaging sensors based on commercial digital cameras was investigated to characterize crop nitrogen status in cases of combined nitrogen and water stress. The acquisition system was composed of two Canon^? EOS 400D digital cameras: an original RGB camera measuring luminance in the Red, Green and Blue spectral bands, and a modified camera equipped with an external band-pass filter measuring luminance in the near-infrared. A 5?month experiment was conducted on a sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) trial consisting of three replicates. In each replicate, two sugarcane cultivars were grown with two levels of water input (rainfed/irrigated) and three levels of nitrogen (0, 65 and 130?kg/ha). Six ULA flights, coupled with ground crop measurements, took place during the experiment. For nitrogen status characterisation, three indices were tested from the closed canopy: the normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI), the green normalised difference vegetation index (GNDVI), and a broadband version of the simple ratio pigment index (hereafter referred to as the SRPI_b), calculated from the ratio between blue and red bands of the digital camera. The indices were compared with two nitrogen crop variables: leaf nitrogen content (N_L) and canopy nitrogen content (N_C). SRPI_b showed the best correlation (R ²?=?0.7) with N_L, independently of the water and the N treatment. NDVI and GNDVI were best correlated with N_C values with correlation coefficients of 0.7 and 0.64 respectively, but the regression coefficients were dependent on the water and N treatment. These results showed that SRPI_b could characterise the nitrogen status of sugarcane crop, even in the case of combined stress, and that such acquisition systems are promising for crop nitrogen monitoring.