punktGENAU

Abstract

According to the Fertiliser Ordinance, nitrogen (N) fertilisation in outdoor vegetable cultivation is based on the Nmin method. The N fertiliser requirement is determined on the basis of a crop-specific nitrogen requirement value, taking into account the Nmin reserves in the soil. For this purpose, representative soil samples are taken from the fields before fertilisation in order to determine the mineral nitrogen (nitrate and ammonium) content in the root zone of the plants. However, the Nmin content of a field can vary considerably from one area to another. This heterogeneous distribution means that plants in some areas are not supplied with sufficient nitrogen, while in others there is an oversupply. This can affect both the yield and quality of the vegetables and lead to inefficient use of N fertilisers and associated environmental problems such as increased nitrate leaching into the groundwater.

The aim of the research project is to develop the process engineering principles for sensor-supported individual plant fertilisation using selected vegetable crops as examples. An autonomous carrier vehicle equipped with a specially developed injection tool, actuators and computer vision technology will be used for this purpose. The aim is to achieve precise nutrient application tailored to the specific needs of the plants based on real-time data.

Research topics

• Developing a sensor head for optical nitrogen detection
• Deep learning-based nitrogen deficiency detection on hyperspectral imaging

Funding

This research is funded by the Erzeugergroßmarkt Langförden-Oldenburg e.G. (ELO).