Review of Active Optical Sensors for Improving Winter Wheat Nitrogen Use Efficiency
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Date
2020
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Agronomy
Abstract
Improvement of nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) via active optical sensors has gained attention
in recent decades, with the focus of optimizing nitrogen (N) input while simultaneously sustaining
crop yields. To the authors’ knowledge, a comprehensive review of the literature on how optical
sensors have impacted winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) NUE and grain yield has not yet been
performed. This work reviewed and documented the extent to which the use of optical sensors has
impacted winter wheat NUE and yield. Two N management approaches were evaluated; optical
sensor and conventional methods. The study included 26 peer-reviewed articles with data on NUE
and grain yield. In articles without NUE values but in which grain N was included, the difference
method was employed to compute NUE based on grain N uptake. Using optical sensors resulted in an
average NUE of 42% ( 2.8% standard error). This approach improved NUE by approximately 10.4%
(2.3%) when compared to the conventional method. Grain yield was similar for both approaches of
N management. Optical sensors could save as much as 53 ( 16) kg N ha1. This gain alone may not
be adequate for increased adoption, and further refinement of the optical sensor robustness, possibly
by including weather variables alongside sound agronomic management practices, may be necessary.
Description
Keywords
Active optical sensors, NUE, Nitrogen management, Winter wheat, Nitrogen
Citation
Aula, L., Omara, P., Nambi, E., Oyebiyi, F. B., & Raun, W. R. (2020). Review of active optical sensors for improving winter wheat nitrogen use efficiency. Agronomy, 10(8), 1157. doi:10.3390/agronomy10081157