Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #122399
Title: LINKING WITHIN-FIELD CROP RESPONSE WITH SOIL CHARACTERISTICS TO DEFINE CROPRESPONSE ZONES

Author
item Walthall, Charles
item KAUL, MONISHA - STARTS 4/8/01
item Timlin, Dennis
item Daughtry, Craig
item Pachepsky, Yakov
item Dulaney, Wayne

Submitted to: Intnl Conference On Geospatial Information In Agriculture And Forestry
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/27/2001
Publication Date: 11/4/2001
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Within-field management zones are fundamental spatial units for precision farming. A management zone is based on the response of the crop to conditions within its boundaries and is managed as a unit. Response zones are needed for delineation of management zones by identifying locations where crops respond similarly to soil conditions, water availability, and management actions. One method of investigating crop response is to link yield or within-season foliage density with these factors using models. The ability of soil to hold water is the most important element in determining crop response for non-irrigated fields and therefore may be a major factor when determining response zones. Simple linear regression, a crop growth simulation model, and a neural network are used to investigate relationships between foliage density and available soil water for data collected at the USDA-ARS Henry A. Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research hCenter, Beltsville, MD. The ability of each approach to estimate foliage density and the sensitivity of each approach to available soil water are tested.