PreprintArticleVersion 1Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed
Economic and Environmental Feasibility of Variable Rate Nitrogen Application in Potato by Fusion of Online Visible and Near Infrared (Vis-NIR) and Remote Sensing Data
Version 1
: Received: 29 February 2024 / Approved: 1 March 2024 / Online: 1 March 2024 (07:57:39 CET)
How to cite:
Qaswar, M.; Bustan, D.; Mouazen, A.M. Economic and Environmental Feasibility of Variable Rate Nitrogen Application in Potato by Fusion of Online Visible and Near Infrared (Vis-NIR) and Remote Sensing Data. Preprints2024, 2024030013. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202403.0013.v1
Qaswar, M.; Bustan, D.; Mouazen, A.M. Economic and Environmental Feasibility of Variable Rate Nitrogen Application in Potato by Fusion of Online Visible and Near Infrared (Vis-NIR) and Remote Sensing Data. Preprints 2024, 2024030013. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202403.0013.v1
Qaswar, M.; Bustan, D.; Mouazen, A.M. Economic and Environmental Feasibility of Variable Rate Nitrogen Application in Potato by Fusion of Online Visible and Near Infrared (Vis-NIR) and Remote Sensing Data. Preprints2024, 2024030013. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202403.0013.v1
APA Style
Qaswar, M., Bustan, D., & Mouazen, A.M. (2024). Economic and Environmental Feasibility of Variable Rate Nitrogen Application in Potato by Fusion of Online Visible and Near Infrared (Vis-NIR) and Remote Sensing Data. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202403.0013.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Qaswar, M., Danyal Bustan and Abdul Mounem Mouazen. 2024 "Economic and Environmental Feasibility of Variable Rate Nitrogen Application in Potato by Fusion of Online Visible and Near Infrared (Vis-NIR) and Remote Sensing Data" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202403.0013.v1
Abstract
Addressing within field spatial variability for nitrogen management to avoid over and under-use of nitrogen is crucial for optimizing crop productivity and ensuring environmental sustainability. In this study we investigated the economic, environmental and agronomic benefits of variable rate nitrogen application in potato (Solanum tuberosum). An online visible and near infrared (vis-NIR) spectroscopy sensor we utilized to predict soil moisture content (MC), pH, total organic carbon (TOC), extractable phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), and cation exchange capacity (CEC) using a partial least squares regression (PLSR) models. The crop's normalized difference vegetation Index (NDVI) from Sentinel-2 satellite images was incorporated to online measured soil data to derive fertility management zones (MZs) maps, after homogenous raster and clustering analyses. The MZs maps were categorized into high fertile (VR-H), medium-high fertile (VR-MH), medium-low fertile (VR-ML), and low fertile (VR-L) zones. A parallel strip experiment compared variable rate nitrogen (VR-N) with uniform rate (UR) treatments, adjusting nitrogen levels based on fertility zones as: 50% less for VR-H, 25% less for VR-MH, 25% more for VR-ML, and 50% more for VR-L zones compared to the UR treatment. Results showed that the VR-H zone received a 50% reduction in N fertilizer input and demonstrated a significantly higher crop yield compared to the UR treatment. This implies a potential reduction in negative environmental impact by lowering fertilizer costs while maintaining robust crop yields. In total, the VR -N treatment received an additional 1.2 Kg/ha of nitrogen input, resulting in a crop yield increase of 1.89 tons/ha. The relative gross margin for the VR-N treatment compared to the UR treatment 374.83 €/ha, indicating substantial profitability for the farmer. To further optimize environmental benefits and profitability, additional research is needed to explore site-specific application of all farm resources through precision agricultural technologies.
Biology and Life Sciences, Agricultural Science and Agronomy
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.