N-Sensor

Real-time variable rate nitrogen management

• A tractor-mounted real-time variable-rate nitrogen sensor
• Measures crop nitrogen requirement as the fertiliser spreader passes across the field
• Variably adjusts the fertiliser application rate in real-time

N-Sensor: tractor-mounted remote sensing

Site-specific fertilisation is one of the main objectives of precision agriculture. Variable-rate nitrogen application requires accurate and efficient tools to determine the actual crops nitrogen status. Remote sensing techniques offer the opportunity to deliver this information quickly, precisely and cost-efficiently. The N-Sensor has been developed to determine the crop nitrogen status by measuring the light reflectance properties of crop canopies and to enable variable-rate fertilisation “on-the-go”.

Benefits of the N-Sensor ALS 2

• Unique agronomically based, crop (wheat, oilseed, barley, maize) specific algorithms
• Unique spectral indices to accurately ‘sense’ variable nitrogen supply throughout the main growing season.
• Clean, accurate ‘sensing’ with NO clouds, trees, landscape features to corrupt the data
• Unlimited scanning, day or night, NO waiting for satellites.
• Large ‘scanning footprint’ – up to 4.2m width each side of the sensor
• 4 wavelengths measured giving enhanced accuracy, suppressing the effects of damp leaves (e.g. dew)
• Apply the optimal nitrogen fertiliser rate to every part of the field
• Maximise the crop’s potential across the whole field
• Increased yields and improved grain quality from more homogeneous crops
• Improved combine performance, reducing harvesting time and cost through more uniform crops