Effect of Variable Rate Fertilizer Application on Spatial Efficiency of Relative Grain Yield and Nutrient Use Efficiency of Major Crops in the Canadian Prairies

作物生产正迅速从传统的地毯式作物投入应用向精准农业发展，精准农业利用地理空间技术精确确定作物投入应用，从而提高养分效率并减少对环境的损失。Farmers Edge是这项技术的先驱。然而，目前尚不清楚可变量施肥对籽粒产量和各田区养分利用效率的影响。这些信息是优化VRT技术所必需的，因此可以充分解决农田内养分的空间变异性。就我们所知，很少有资料表明，可变速率施用对收获时相对粮食产量、生物量和养分吸收的影响。本研究的目标是：(1)确定VRT对相对粮食和生物量产量以及养分利用效率的影响；(2)评估地统计学升级技术，以确定产量和养分利用效率。这些目标将在加拿大大草原上由Farmers Edge建立的18个现场进行测试。将对这些地点的土壤和植物样本进行分析，以确定作物产量、养分含量和植物吸收情况。结果将用于优化Farmers Edge的VRT技术，以提高肥料效率和减少对环境的养分损失。这将反过来帮助Farmers Edge进一步开发该技术的市场。

Crop production is rapidly evolving from conventional blanket-rate crop input application to precision farming where crop input applications are precisely determined using geospatial technology, which could lead to improved nutrient efficiency and reduced losses to the environment. Farmers Edge is a pioneer in this technology. However, the effect of Variable Rate Fertilizer Application (VRT) on grain yield and nutrient use efficiency among field zones is currently not well understood. Such information is needed to optimize the VRT technology and therefore adequately address spatial variability of nutrients within a field. To the best of our knowledge, there is little information on the effect of variable rate application on relative grain yield, biomass and nutrient uptake at harvest. The objectives of the proposed study are to (1) determine the effect of VRT on relative grain and biomass yield and nutrient use efficiency and (2) evaluate geostatistical upscaling techniques to determine yield and nutrient use efficiency. These objectives will be tested at 18 field sites established by Farmers Edge across the Canadian Prairies. Soil and plant samples from the sites will be analyzed to determine crop yield and nutrient content and uptake by plants. Results will be used in the optimization of Farmers Edge's VRT technology for greater fertilizer efficiency and minimal nutrient loss to the environment. This will in turn assist Farmers Edge in further market development of the technology.