with the collaboration of Iranian Society of Mechanical Engineers (ISME)

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

Urmia University

Abstract

In order to use new and low cost methods in precision agriculture, nitrogen should be supplied for plants on time and precisely. For determining the required nitrogen of paddy rice in the clustering stage, a series of experiments were conducted using three different methods of: image processing, kjeldahl and chlorophyll meter set (SPAD-502), in a randomized complete block design with three replications during 2010 at Rice Research Center of Tonekabon, Iran. Four experimental treatments were different level of fertilizer (Urea with 46% nitrogen). In the clustering stage, some images from rice plants were taken vertically by a digital camera and were analyzed using image processing technique. Simultaneously the chlorophyll index of plants was measured by SPAD-502 chlorophyll meter set and the percentage amount of nitrogen was measured using of the so called kjeldahl laboratory method. The results showed that the three methods of determining nitrogen of rice plant were highly correlated. Moreover, the correlation among the three methods and crop yield were almost the same. In general, the method of image processing could have a high potential for nitrogen management in the field, while this method was low-cost, faster and also nondestructive in comparison to the other methods.

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