Assessing corn yield and nitrogen uptake variability with digitized aerial infrared photographs

Methods for large-scale mapping of crop variability are needed for precision farming applications. We hypothesized that aerial-infrared photographs can predict corn yield and N uptake variability. A 2.6-ha area in Minnesota was cropped with corn in 1991 and 1992. Photographs of bare soil and of the mature crops were color scanned. Corn yield and N uptake were determined at 58 locations, and were related to phototone data using multiple regression. Spatial analysis of imagery showed that the crop canopy was more influenced by soil conditions in 1991 than in 1992. This is attributed to the cooler climate in 1992. Consequently, harvest data were better predicted in 1991 than in 1992. In 1991, 65 percent of yield and 59 percent of N-uptake variability were captured by phototones; respective values for 1992 data were 47 percent and 37 percent. Use of aerial photographs for spatial modeling of crop growth can work, but multi-year studies are recommended.

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