Remote Sensing for Precise Nutrient Management in Agriculture

Abstract

Agricultural sustainability and food security are adversely affected by nutrient deficiency in the soil that in turn reduces crop yield. To restore soil fertility, precision agriculture (PA) techniques are highly encouraged. The PA techniques include the use of integrated sensors, information systems, better-quality machinery, and informed management to improve productivity. The quality and quantity of agricultural products can be improved by precision farming. The use of remote sensing is a nondestructive technique that facilitates the application of PA. The nutrient use efficiency of crops can be improved by using PA technology. In this regard, various remote sensing techniques including hyperspectral remote sensing, visible light remote sensing, and the back-propagation neural network (BPNN) model combined with ordinary kriging (OK) known as BPNKOK are currently being employed to improve soil nutrients management. These techniques assist in non-destructive monitoring of plant growth and hence aid in sustaining crop yields.

Keywords

• precision agriculture
• remote sensing
• nutrient management
• soil fertility