Sugarcane proximal sensing: agronomic variables and soil spectroscopy
| Grant number: | 11/02817-9 |
| Support type: | Program for Research on Bioenergy (BIOEN) - Regular Program Grants |
| Duration: | February 01, 2012 - March 31, 2014 |
| Field of knowledge: | Agronomical Sciences - Agricultural Engineering |
| Principal Investigator: | Paulo Sergio Graziano Magalhães |
| Grantee: | Paulo Sergio Graziano Magalhães |
| Home Institution: | Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM). Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia, Inovações e Comunicações (Brasil). Campinas , SP, Brazil |
| Assoc. researchers: | Gener Tadeu Pereira ; Henrique Coutinho Junqueira Franco ; José Paulo Molin ; Oscar Antonio Braunbeck ; Ricardo Yassushi Inamasu ; Thiago Libório Romanelli ; Zigomar Menezes de Souza |
Abstract
The production of biofuels is justified only if their economic and environmental impacts are favorable compared to similar sources of energy, and if there are real benefits to all segments of society directly involved. One of the innovations of science and technology that should be incorporated into the production of sugar cane is the Precision Agriculture (PA): that enabling the producer to understand and control more precisely the inherent spatial variability found in the field in order to obtain higher productivity, economic return and environmental respect. In this context, the main objective of this project is to evaluate the causes of spatial and temporal variability of sugar cane productivity aiming the optimization of agricultural management techniques through AP, and as a specific objective identify the factors, and their interactions, that most influence in the spatial variability of yield and quality of sugar cane. This aiming to improve agronomic models diagnostic and guide the development of sensors "on-the-go" suitable for determining soil chemical properties, and complement scientific knowledge necessary to extend the full potential of the PA to increase productivity and quality of production on a commercial scale. For this, two areas with sugar cane crop, each with 50 hectares, will receive management and evaluation of soil chemical and physical properties of and plant nutrition distinct (one area with AP and fertilizer application at variable rate and the other with the mill management standard). With this, the research project seeks to contribute to the technical/scientific knowledge about the sugar cane yield spatial variability, through: a survey of more detailed data to help in the understanding of crop response to changes in edaphoclimatic conditions within the sugar cane field, and thus may contribute to the development of new strategies for crop management, aiming at vertical integration of productivity and reduction of environmental and economic impacts of the productive sector of sugar cane. (AU)