Understanding spatial and temporal variability of crop yield, water and nutrient fluxes by integrating precision agriculture with crop modeling

The existence of a trade-off between agricultural production and environmental concerns of nutrients (Nitrogen and Phosphorus) management is a crucial aspect to consider, because of the dual opposing roles that nutrient play in crop production and environmental quality. Whereas fertilizer is beneficial for increasing yield unused fertilizer that is lost from the agricultural system poses a threat to environmental quality, wildlife welfare, and human health. Therefore, management strategies of the future must aim to find the appropriate balance between these opposing concerns. The first step in this endeavor is to develop a methodology for predicting how a particular management strategy will affect crop yield and unused fertilizer remaining in the soil at harvest. With such a methodology, management strategies can be developed and implemented with a direct understanding of the cost to the producer and the cost to the environment. In addition, the methodology could aid in the development of environmental legislation and producer compensation programs that aim at reducing the environmental risk of agricultural fertilizer management.The overarching goal of the project is to develop new knowledge that can lead to improvements in fertilzer management and crop water use efficiency. To achieve these goals, we will monitor field experiments with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle to validate vegetation indices used to assess nutrient uptake by crops and to link proximal sensing data with crop modeling. Crop modeling will provide an integrated approach to calculate optimal Variable Fertilizer Rate applications using weather forecasts.The knowledge and tools gained through this proposed project would improve the methods and tools to quantify water and nitrogen needs of row-crops, and help farmers implement efficient and sustainable nitrogen and water management systems at farm and watershed levels. Although most people can see the benefits of using a more precise approach to manage crops with additional information, the tools provided by precision agriculture and other information technologies have not yet moved into mainstream agricultural management.