Real-time application of nitrogen fertilizer in canopy sensors: the influence of travel speed and response time of the machinery

• Grant number: 18/05985-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2018
• End date: July 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agricultural Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Lucas Rios do Amaral
• Grantee: Letícia Yumi Iamada
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Agrícola (FEAGRI). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The techniques developed with Precision Agriculture (PA) can be used for fertilization in a spatialized way, taking into account the variability of the crops. Among the nutrients that need to be managed in agricultural crops, one of the most challenging is Nitrogen (N), due to its complex soil dynamics and variation on crops results. One of the techniques to spatially manage it is the local recommendation and estimation of N sufficiency assessed by canopy reflectance sensors embedded in agricultural machines. Although, for maximum performance of this technique, fertilizer dose regulation should be performed in real time. However, due to mechanical limitations of the applicators, we believe that the response time of the applicator machines is not enough for an adequate application. Thus, the present work aimed to simulate the results of the application of nitrogen fertilizers at variable rates in cultures of sugarcane, wheat and cotton, evaluating the errors in the applied doses according to the characteristics of the applicator machines.