Nutrient Zone Determinations Using on-the-go Protein Monitors and on-the-go NDVI Monitors

We have established nutrient management areas on our farms using various techniques, such as soil conductivity, yields, and topography. We have also determined soil test locations within those zones. We intend to monitor N content of crops near those soil test locations using SPAD, on-the-go NDVI and airborne imagery that is calibrated in a way that we can compare vegetative quantity and health temporally. Then the crop will be harvested using both yield and the new protein monitors and a spatial nitrogen removal calculation will be performed and used to improve soil management zones. The calculated N removal will then be compared against earlier NDVI and SPAD data to find how early we can determine N deficient areas in an effort to add N during the growing season, if conditions warrant. Splitting application of nitrogen is common practice in some other crops and regions of the country, but not used much in the northern Great Plains, but using new transducers and GIS software, we may be able to do so in small grains.