Delineation of Sensor Based Management Zones to Improve Farm Profitability and Lower Environmental Risks in Potato Cropping Systems

加拿大的马铃薯生产通常涉及在生长季节统一施用农用化学品（化肥、石灰和杀虫剂），忽略了田间存在的空间和时间变化。均匀施用不仅增加了生产成本，而且对我们的环境产生了不利影响（温室气体（GHG）排放增加，硝酸盐渗入地下/地下水，营养物质流入水体，破坏水产养殖和渔业以及空气质量恶化）。该项目将满足爱德华王子岛马铃薯局（PEI）的迫切需求，即根据需要找到一种新颖和创新的解决方案来指导营养管理策略。该项目将评估基于电磁感应的传感器（DualEM）的可行性和实用性，以开发管理区（MZs），用于作物投入物（肥料和石灰）的特定地点应用。本研究的主要目标是：1)通过物理土壤采样和分析，在PEI的不同土壤条件下校准DualEM传感器；2)确定DualEM传感器的最佳频率，以感知/预测土壤肥力状况和特定的养分管理；3)描绘基于无损传感器的MZs，以根据需要优化作物投入。按需养分管理在提高肥料/石灰利用效率、降低生产成本和减轻环境风险方面具有强大的潜力。目前，马铃薯委员会PEI没有可用于实施特定地点营养管理的协议。该项目将为马铃薯委员会PEI提供一种使用DualEM传感器开发基于地图的mz的创新和非破坏性方法。开发的MZs可以精确优化养分管理。此外，本研究将提供一个基于获取必要数据的新知识流，以支持/实施特定地点的营养管理，以提高经济和环境效益。

Potato production in Canada typically involves uniform application of agrochemicals (fertilizer, lime andpesticides) during a growing season, ignoring spatial and temporal variations that exist within fields. Uniformapplication not only increases the production cost but also adversely affects our environment (increasedgreenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, nitrate leaching into sub-surface/ground waters, nutrient runoff into waterbodies, damaging aquaculture and fisheries and deterioration of air quality).This project will address the urgent needs of the Potato Board Prince Edward Island (PEI) to find a novel andinnovative solution to direct nutrient management strategies on an as-needed basis. This project will evaluatethe feasibility and practicality of the electromagnetic induction based sensor (DualEM) to develop managementzones (MZs) for site-specific application of crop inputs (Fertilizer and lime). The main goal of this research isto: 1) calibrate the DualEM sensor in variable soil conditions across the PEI using physical soil sampling andanalysis, 2) identify the optimal frequencies of the DualEM sensor to sense/predict soil fertility status forsite-specific nutrient management, and 3) delineate non-destructive sensor based MZs to optimize crop inputson an as-needed basis. Nutrient management on an as-needed basis has a strong potential to increasefertilizer/lime use efficiency, reduce production cost, and mitigate environmental risks.Currently, there are no protocols available for Potato Board PEI to implement site-specific nutrientmanagement. This project will provide Potato Board PEI with an innovative and non-destructive method todevelop map-based MZs using a DualEM sensor. The developed MZs can optimize nutrient managementprecisely. Furthermore, this research will provide a new knowledge stream based on acquisition of necessarydata to support/implement site-specific nutrient management to improve economic and environmental benefits.