Development and Preliminary Test of a Prototype Program to Recommend Nitrogen Topdressing Rate Using Color Digital Camera Image Analysis at Panicle Initiation Stage of Rice

This study was carried out to develop and test a prototype program that recommends the nitrogen topdressing rate using the color digital camera image taken from rice field at panicle initiation stage (PIS). This program comprises four models to estimate shoot N content (PNup) by color digital image analysis, shoot N accumulation from PIS to maturity (PHNup), yield, and protein content of rice. The models were formulated using data set from N rate experiments in 2008. PNup was found to be estimated by non-linear regression model using canopy cover and normalized green values calculated from color digital image analysis as predictor variables. PHNup could be predicted by quadratic regression model from PNup and N fertilization rate at panicle initiation stage with R² of 0.923. Yield and protein content of rice could also be predicted by quadratic regression models using PNup and PHNup as predictor variables with R² of 0.859 and 0.804, respectively. The performance of the program integrating the above models to recommend N topdressing rate at PIS was field-tested in 2009. N topdressing rate prescribed for the target protein content of 6.0% by the program were lower by about 30% compared to the fixed rate of 30% that is recommended conventionally as the split application rate of N fertilizer at PIS, while rice yield in the plots top-dressed with the prescribed N rate were not different from those of the plots topdressed with the fixed N rates of 30% and showed a little lower or similar protein content of rice as well. And coefficients of variation in rice yield and quality parameters were reduced substantially by the prescribed N topdressing. These results indicate that the N rate recommendation using the analysis of color digital camera image is promising to be applied for precise management of N fertilization. However, for the universal and practical application the component models of the program are needed to be improved so as to be applicable to the diverse edaphic and climatic condition.