Improving mid-season nitrogen management of rice

Summary

This project will improve midseason nitrogen management of rice leading to increased grain yield and quality, water productivity, nitrogen use efficiency and profitability.

Program

Rice

Research Organisation

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

Objective Summary

1) Develop scripts required to enable red edge sensor imagery to be automatically processed and embedded in an online delivery system, allowing growers to access spatial NDRE maps of their rice fields at PI. 2) Refine algorithms for predicting PI nitrogen uptake from NDRE for Koshihikari and YRK5 for red edge sensors suitable for providing accurate spatial PI nitrogen topdressing recommendations for these varieties to growers. 3) Utilise phenology data to develop improved models for prediction of PI date for aerial, drill and delayed permanent water (DPW) rice sowing methods. Extend the modelling to include prediction of anthesis date and work towards the prediction of rice maturity date. 4) Research current and new satellite, aerial and drone based red edge and hyperspectral sensors as they become available to improve prediction of PI N uptake in rice without the need for physical crop sampling for all varieties. 5) Maintain the NIR instrument and rice calibrations and ensure growers receive accurate nitrogen topdressing recommendations from the NIR Tissue Test Service. Ensure research projects have accurate and cost effective sample analysis results.