Use of In‐Season Reflectance for Predicting Yield Potential in Bermudagrass

Abstract Spatial variability of soil nutrients is known to exist at distances of less than 1 m. Recently, an on‐the‐go system for application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer based on spectral measurements known as in‐season estimated yield (INSEY) improved N use efficiency (NUE) by as much as 17% in winter wheat. Six trials were conducted in 2001, 2002, and 2003 at Ardmore and Burneyville, OK, with an objective to develop an index similar to INSEY for use in predicting yield potential in bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.) that can be used for adjusting fertilizer N rates. Initial results indicate that 55% of variation in predicted bermudagrass forage yield was explained by a Bermudagrass–INSEY (B‐INSEY) index and 54% of the variation in forage N uptake was explained using the normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI). The remaining challenge is to develop appropriate N fertilizer rates based on this information and apply these rates using on‐the‐go technology.

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