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Aerial Color Infrared Photography for Determining Late‐Season Nitrogen Requirements in Corn
Author(s) -
Sripada Ravi P.,
Heiniger Ronnie W.,
White Jeffrey G.,
Weisz Randy
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj2004.0314
Subject(s) - radiance , field corn , environmental science , aerial photography , growing season , sowing , hydrology (agriculture) , vegetation (pathology) , zea mays , agronomy , zoology , mathematics , remote sensing , geography , geology , biology , geotechnical engineering , medicine , pathology
Fast and accurate methods of determining in‐season corn ( Zea mays L.) N requirements are needed to provide more precise and economical management and potentially decrease groundwater N contamination. The objectives of this study were (i) to determine if there is a response to late‐season N applied to corn at pretassel (VT) under irrigated and nonirrigated conditions, and (ii) to develop a methodology for predicting in‐season N requirement for corn at the VT stage using aerial color infrared (CIR) photography. Field studies were conducted for 3 yr over a wide range of soil conditions and water regimes in the North Carolina Coastal Plain. Different fertilizer N rates were applied (i) at planting (N PL ) to create a range of N supply, corn color, and near‐infrared (NIR) radiance; and (ii) at VT (N VT ) to measure yield response to N VT . Aerial CIR photographs were obtained for each site at VT before N application. Significant grain yield responses to N PL and N VT were observed. Economic optimum N VT rates ranged from 0 to 224 kg ha −1 with a mean of 104 kg ha −1 . Better prediction of economic optimum N VT rates was obtained with spectral band combinations rather than individual bands, and improved when calculated relative to high‐N reference strips measured at VT. The best predictor of economic optimum N VT ( R 2 = 0.67) was a linear‐plateau model based on corn color and NIR radiance expressed using the Green Difference Vegetation Index (GDVI) relative to high‐N reference strips (Relative GDVI, RGDVI).