Abstract
Blanket fertilizer nitrogen (N) recommendations for large irrigated wheat tracts lead to low N-use efficiency due to field-to-field variability in soil N supply and seasonal variability in yield. To achieve high N use efficiency, a site-specific N management strategy using GreenSeeker™ optical sensor was evaluated. We conducted seven field experiments during 2004–2006 at three locations to define relationships between in-season sensor measurements and yield of wheat and to know whether response of wheat to fertilizer N can be estimated by sensor measurements. During 2005–2007, four field experiments were conducted to assess the sensor-based N management strategy and to work out prescriptive N management to be followed prior to applying sensor-guided fertilizer dose. We observed robust relationships between in-season sensor-based estimates of yield at Feekes 5–6 and 7–8 stages and actual wheat yields. Response of wheat to fertilizer N defined by the sensor was highly correlated with harvest response index. Sensor-guided fertilizer N applications resulted in high yield levels and high N-use efficiency. Application of 90 kg N ha-1 at planting or in two equal doses at planting and crown root initiation stage was the appropriate prescriptive fertilizer N management. This study reveals that high N-use efficiency in irrigated wheat can be achieved by replacing blanket fertilizer recommendation by an optical sensor-based N management strategy consisting of applying moderate amount of fertilizer N at planting and crown root initiation stages and sensor-guided fertilizer N dose at Feekes 5–6 or 7–8 stages of wheat.
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Acknowledgments
The financial and technical support received from the USDA and encouragement from Dr. Ryan Moore to undertake this study is gratefully acknowledged. The first author acknowledges the financial support received from Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi in the form of National Professor project to continue the work on GreenSeeker optical sensor. Thanks are due to Drs. James Schepers, Arnall Brain, and Bram Govaerts for technical support at different times and useful discussions during the course of the studies. We take the opportunity to thank Punjab Agricultural University (Ludhiana), Directorate of Wheat Research-ICAR (Karnal) and Project Directorate for Crop** System Research-ICAR (Modipuram) for providing the necessary facilities used in conducting the experiments.
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Bijay-Singh, Sharma, R.K., Jaspreet-Kaur et al. Assessment of the nitrogen management strategy using an optical sensor for irrigated wheat. Agronomy Sust. Developm. 31, 589–603 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-011-0005-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-011-0005-5