Summary

This project builds on the current RIRDC project: PRJ007477, Rice NIR and Remote Sensing. It involves maintaining the NIR instrument at Yanco and updating the panicle initiation (PI) tissue, grain and straw nitrogen calibrations. The instrument and calibrations are used to determine the PI tissue nitrogen (N) content of the samples submitted to the NIR Tissue Test Service. The NIR, using numerous calibrations, is also used to analyse grain, straw and tissue samples in several other RIRDC research projects.
The project is also investigating the use of remote sensing to determine crop PI N uptake with the aim to reduce the need for farmers to physically sample their crops at PI. The current project has shown over three seasons that ground based hyperspectral data is correlated with PI N uptake measured in replicated plot experiments. In the 2014/15 rice season airborne and satellite collected spectral data are being trialled.
Moving forward with NIR and remote sensing will allow progression and possible transition towards the goal of remotely sensed spatial field maps for PI N uptake. Success would resolve the issue rice growers have with physically sampling their crops at PI and the errors that can occur due to inaccurate sampling and field variability. Growers could then be provided with PI nitrogen topdressing recommendation maps of their rice crops.

Program

Rice

Research Organisation

The Crown in right of the State of NSW acting through the Department of Primary Industries

Objective Summary

1) Maintain the NIR instrument and rice nitrogen calibrations and ensure growers receive accurate PI nitrogen topdressing recommendations from the NIR Tissue Test Service.
2) Using hand held canopy and aerial hyperspectral data obtained in the current project, select relevant wavelengths for placement in a filter instrument. Determine accuracy of PI N uptake predictions from this filter instrument with aerially collected spectra.
3) Assess the accuracy, availability and cost of remote sensing options for measuring PI N uptake in rice fields and compare remote sensing methods with the current PI sampling protocol.
4) Utilise nitrogen data from the proposed RIRDC project “Rice variety agronomic management” to update PI N topdressing recommendations and investigate applying them spatially to rice fields.
5) Provided accuracy is acceptable, transition towards making remotely sensed spatial field maps of rice PI N uptake and nitrogen topdressing recommendations available to growers and agronomists.