SustaiN: A Decision Support System for Sustainable Nitrogen Management in Corn and Sorghum using Satellite Remote Sensing

View the project final report

Commodities

• Agronomic: corn, sorghum (sweet)

Practices

• Crop Production: application rate management, cropping systems, fertilizers
• Sustainable Communities: sustainability measures

SustaiN seeks to address the pressing issue of excessive Nitrogen (N) use in corn and sorghum production, which can be a significant financial burden for farmers and pose environmental risks. To provide a viable solution, we propose utilizing high-resolution satellite remote sensing to develop an interactive web-based decision support system (DSS) that visualizes the N-status of crops in near real-time. We are collaborating with our partners at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and the University of Illinois to establish experimental fields with variable N rates in plots of corn and sorghum. During the growing season of 2023, we will use a hyperspectral sensor mounted on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to collect remote sensing data and create an N-status index that can explain N-variability. We will then apply this index to PlanetScope (PS) satellite images and integrate the results into a fully interactive and user-friendly web based DSS.

Our research approach will involve the development of a suitable N-status index that can accurately explain N-variability from crop canopies. Drawing on our previous experiments conducted in 2021 and 2022, we have been able to create a N-status index from UAV data that is well-suited for the PS satellite. To ensure accessibility, we have established a dedicated project website (https://sustaincrops.net/) that allows farmers to easily subscribe and log in to the system. Our DSS allows users to input their field's location and desired time of data visualization, which provides a comprehensive N-status map highlighting areas of N-variability that can reduce costs for in-season N-application. In addition, we are developing educational videos and materials to help farmers understand how remote sensing can be integrated into high-throughput decision-making for their farming. The beta version of our web-based app is already running in the cloud, and we are excited to see how our project will benefit farmers by providing access to vital information that can inform their management decisions.

As the project is still in its early stages of development, we will continue to collect more data from the upcoming season. To promote wider adoption of SustaiN, we will reach out to farmers through social media and farmers' associations to encourage subscription. Our final report will include a more detailed research conclusion and a summary of the farmer adoption actions that resulted from the education program.

Learning outcomes

The learning outcomes will be shared to farmers and researchers by peer-reviewed journal publication and hosting the results in a project website.

1. Farmers will learn how satellite data can explain in-season N-variability for corn and sorghum and gain insight into any environmental stress that may have affected overall N-uptake.
2. The project will provide information on which corn and sorghum genotypes have better nitrogen use efficiency in different environmental conditions.
3. Researchers will have access to unique crop datasets and project source codes that will enable them to reproduce the research outcomes and the DSS.

Action outcomes

1. Farmers will make informed decisions about optimal in-season N-requirement without relying on drone-based flights or ground-based sensors, leading to increased profitability and reduced operational costs while improving the overall soil quality of their fields.
2. Researchers can perform further investigation on top of the current version of DSS.