On the Profitability of UAS-Based NDVI Imagery for Variable Rate Nitrogen Prescriptions in Corn and Wheat in North Dakota

• Main Author: Duchsherer, Christopher Joseph
• Format: Others
• Published: North Dakota State University 2018
• Subjects: Precision farming > Technological innovations.; Agriculture – Remote sensing.; Drone aircraft.; Crops and nitrogen.; Nitrogen fertilizers.; Fertilizers – Application.; Corn > North Dakota > Remote sensing.; Wheat > North Dakota > Remote sensing.
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10365/28747

This study examines the grower’s decision to invest in precision agriculture technologies especially in-season variable rate nitrogen applications based on NDVI data collected from UAVs. NDVI, yield, soil, and other field data were collected from multiple corn and wheat fields located throughout North Dakota. Each field was divided into management zones to determine profitability of utilizing the technology based on in-season nitrogen applications for the grower’s field practice, high, low, and no applications. Results show that using the NDVI data collected from UAVs can be profitable when the grower decides to make the decision to apply nitrogen in a sidedress application.