Remote sensing of N deficiencies in apple and pear orchards

Abstract

Innovative use of sensor technology offers the potential to provide better feedback techniques of nutrient status, resulting in the lowered expenditure on fertiliser, increased capacity to meet market specification and reduced loss of nutrients. In this study we evaluated the use of remote sensing to assess canopy N status through the canopy chlorophyll concentration index (CCCI) which has been applied to cereal crops, but was untested for apple and pear. Initial analysis suggested that 2.5 m resolution satellite imagery was not sufficient to separate the tree canopy from orchard floor vegetation. To remove the influence of the orchard understorey, test datasets of high spatial resolution im..