MULTI-SPECTRAL SENSOR FOR DETECTION OF NITROGEN STATUS IN COTTON

Based on the spectral characteristics of cotton canopies, a plant nitrogen sensor was designed and fabricated for detection of nitrogen status in cotton plants. The sensor is an active optical multi-spectral sensing unit. It measures spectral reflectance from a cotton canopy in blue, green, red, and near infrared wavebands with a modulated illumination to the cotton canopy. The sensor was tested in the laboratory and field, and promising results were obtained. This article describes the design, implementation, and testing of the sensor.