John Solie Ivan Ortiz-MonasterioBill Raun CIMMYTMarv StoneOklahoma State University

John Solie Ivan Ortiz-MonasterioBill Raun CIMMYTMarv StoneOklahoma State University

National Academy of Sciences Committee on Technologies to Benefit Farmers

in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia

National Academy of Sciences Committee on Technologies to Benefit Farmers

in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia

The science and art of obtaining information about an object, area, or phenomenon through the analysis of data acquired by a device that is not in contact with object, area, or phenomenon under investigation. Generally, but not exclusively, in the form of electromagnetic radiation

Remote sensed measurements are primarily indirect and consequently confounded

Useful for “Big Picture” management decisions Predicted yield at county to

country level Management of natural resources Land use Drought management Wild fire management

Few,minor farm applications Delays required to process and

transmit information do not permit “real-time” decision making

Information without applications that increase net returns is useless

Farmers will not pay for this information

Allows real-time decision making. Can be interfaced with agricultural machinery to variably apply

inputs in real-time

Variable RateNozzle System

Directionof Travel

Computer andSensor

Assembly

Decision MakingAnd Agronomic Strategy

Plant

Malakoff (Science, 1998) $750,000,000, excess N flowing down the

Mississippi River Africa expenditure on fertilizer N, cereals

$706,000,000 Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) World 33% 20% increase

Worth $10.8 billion US annually

Misuse of Nitrogen Fertilizer is a World Wide Problem

Misuse of Nitrogen Fertilizer is a World Wide Problem

Raun and Johnson, Agron J. 91:357-363

1989-present

April 16, 2007Dr. Norman BorlaugCiudad Obregon, MX

43 Locations, 1998-2006

0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

7.0

8.0

0 0.001 0.002 0.003 0.004 0.005 0.006 0.007 0.008 0.009 0.01

INSEY

Gra

in y

ield

, M

g/h

a

PKNP 1998PKSN 1998TPSN 1998PKNP 1999222 1999301 1999EFAA 1999801 1999502 1999PKNP 2000222 2000301 2000EFAA 2000801 2000502 2000HNAA 2000PKNP 2001222 2001301 2001EFAA 2001801 2001PKNP 2002222 2002301 2002EFAA 2002801 2002HNAA 2002502 2003222 2003EFAA 2003PKNP 2004222 2004301 2004502 200420052006

YP0 = 0.409e258.2 INSEY R2=0.50

YP0 + 1Std Dev = 0.590 e258.2 INSEY

Units: biomass, kg/ha/day, where GDD>0

Winter WheatWinter Wheat Yield

Prediction

INSEY = NDVI(F5)/Days from planting to sensing, GDD>0

20 Locations, 2002-2005Hybrid Corn, Mexico, Nebraska, Iowa,

Oklahoma, Virginia, OhioV8-V10 (44 to 69 days)

y = 19583x1.7916

R2 = 0.71

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

0.002 0.004 0.006 0.008 0.01 0.012 0.014 0.016 0.018

INSEY

Gra

in y

ield

, M

g h

a-1

104-day (2003)

107-day (2003)

111-day (2003)

99-day (2004)

113-day (2004)

105-day (2002)

109-day (2002)

113-day (2002)

113-day (OFIT)

108-day (OFIT)

Efaw (2003)

LCB (2003)

Efaw (2004)

LCB 2004

Mexico (2002)

Shelton (2004)

Ames (2004)

Ohio

CORNCORN

INSEY = NDVI/Cummulative GDD

Wavelength (nm)

Ref

lect

ance

Ref

lect

ance

(%

) (

%)

0.25

VisibleVisibleNear InfraredNear Infrared

450 550 650 750 850 950 1050 1150500 600 700 1000900800 1100

Plant Reflectance

550

670

780870

960

0.5

Calculated from the red and near-infrared bands

Equivalent to a plant physical examination

Correlated with: Plant biomass Crop yield Plant nitrogen Plant chlorophyll Water stress Plant diseases Insect damage

Lightgeneration

Light signal

Lightdetection

Valve settings

Calculate NDVILookup valve settingApply valve settingSend data to UI

“Sensor”

Valves and

Nozzles

SBNRCMexicoIndiaTurkeyChinaZimbabwe ArgentinaAustraliaCanadaUzbekistan

Crop Derived Algorithm to Determine Accurate N Rates

Yield potential or YP0 (changes each year) N Responsiveness or Response Index, RI (changes

each year) YP0 and RI are independent of one another Using yield prediction and N responsiveness we

can predict accurate mid-season fertilizer N rates Fertilizer Rate = N uptake at YPN – N uptake at

YP0/Efficiency Factor

http://www.soiltesting.okstate.edu/SBNRC/SBNRC.php

Ciudad Obregon, MexicoCiudad Obregon, Mexico

200 0 15 30 45 60 75 100 115 200 0 15 30 45 60 75 100 115

N Rate, lb/ac N Rate, lb/ac

200200

001515

3030

200200

RAMP Calibration StripRAMP Calibration Strip

0 N0 N

195 N195 N

Optical Pocket Sensor 3rd world Common Farmer Tool

$4000 US$4000 US

$100 US$100 US

SAA USAPopulation, million 700 300Cereals, million ha 88 56Production, million tons97 364Yield, tons/ha 1.1 6.5Fertilizer N, million tons 1.3 10.9Avg. N rate, kg/ha 4 52% of world N consumed 1.4 13% of world population 10 4

SSA averages 4 kg N/ha for cereal production Seed distribution systems have been a chronic problem

associated with hybrid maize in SSA (CIMMYT) More than 1/3 of all African countries have an economic

growth of >5% (not all are Sudan, Somalia, Zimbabwe and DRC)

CIMMYT’s stress breeding hybrids are better than private company hybrids at all yield levels (Marianne Banziger)

Imidazolinone-resistant maize seed coated with the herbicide have shown good Striga hermonthica control

Production package must be integrated (seed, fertilizer, herbicide, tillage, mechanization, etc.)

Affordable N fertilizer Zero-reduced tillage, build organic matter, soil

nutrients Affordable easy-to-use optical pocket sensor Production sensitive hybrids from CIMMYT

drought stress breeding program, IR resistant seed

Sensor-based N rate algorithms tailored by region and crop, based on predicted yield potential and N responsiveness

Environmentally sensitive system approach Aggressive education/extension program

Farmer training, Ciudad Obregon, Mexico, January 2007Farmer training, Ciudad Obregon, Mexico, January 2007

The foundation's Global Development Program is working with motivated partners to create opportunities for people to lift themselves out of poverty and hunger. Our strategy is focused. Because most of the world's poorest people rely directly on agriculture, we support efforts to help small farmers improve crop production and market access. Because loans, insurance, and savings can help people weather setbacks and build assets, we facilitate access to financial services for the poor. And because information can change lives, we support free public access to computers connected to the Internet.