Effects of Landscape, Soils, and Weather on Yields, Nitrogen Use, and Profitability with Sensor-Based Variable Rate Nitrogen Management in Cotton

Agronomy

ChristopherN. Boyer¹  Melissa Stefanini¹  JamesA. Larson¹  XiaVivian Zhou¹  DaytonM. Lambert²  MichaelJ. Buschermohle³  HubertJ. Savoy³  JacJ. Varco⁴  Xinhua Yin⁵  Peter Scharf⁶  DavidJ. Dunn⁶  BrendaS. Tubaña⁷ 

[1] Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA;Department of Agricultural Economics, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA;Department of Biosystems Engineering & Soil Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA;Department of Plant & Soil Science, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA;Department of Plant Sciences, West Tennessee Research & Education Center, University of Tennessee, Jackson, TN 38301, USA;Division of Plant Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA;School of Plant, Environmental & Soil Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA;

关键词: economics;    normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI);    on-the-go sensors;    site-specific nutrient management;   

DOI  :  10.3390/agronomy10121858

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Farmers may be reluctant to adopt variable rate nitrogen (VRN) management because of uncertain profits. This study assessed field landscape, soil, and weather effects on optical sensing (OS)-based VRN on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) N rates, yields, and net returns (NRs). Field data were collected from 21 locations in Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee, USA, between 2011 and 2014. Data included yields, N rates, and NRs for the farmer practice (FP), OS-based VRN, and OS-based VRN supplemented with other information. Production data were augmented with landscape, soils, and weather data, and ANOVA and logistic regressions were used to identify field conditions where VRN was profitable, provided risk management benefits, and improved N efficiency. Key findings indicate that NRs were improved with VRN by applying additional N on more erodible soils. Higher organic matter soils also benefited from VRN through enhanced yields and NRs. VRN may also have provided risk management benefits by providing a lower probability of NRs below NRs for the FP on soils associated with greater water-holding capacity, higher organic matter levels, or deeper profiles. Results from this study may help identify farm fields with similar characteristics for adoption of VRN management.

【 授权许可】

Unknown