Hyper-näring: Hyperspectral tools for monitoring fertilization efficiency in cereals

Background

Cereals are a primary source of carbohydrates in the diet, providing energy and nutrition to the population and playing an essential role in ensuring food security. They contribute significantly to the economy by generating income for farmers, providing raw materials for various food industries, and being a vital component of animal feed. In Sweden, circa of 40% of the total arable lands are occupied with cereals, representing the second highest agricultural land use. Over 50% of these cereals are wheat, followed by barley and oats.

Fertilizers provide essential nutrients for plant growth, such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K). Imbalanced, inappropriate, or excessive fertilizer use in agricultural systems cause substantial environmental costs and economic risks. In general, efficient fertilizer management is crucial to address these issues and promote sustainable agriculture, as highlighted in the Farm to Fork strategy developed by the European Union.

Spectral sensors (e.g., sensors attached to satellites, drones, field spectrometers, and other devices) have offer fast and non-destructive solutions for nutritional diagnosis. However, there is a need to develop more tools based on high-performance sensors, such as portable hyperspectral cameras. These cameras provide images at a very high spectral resolution.

Project description

The project aims to improve fertilization efficiency by non-invasive nutritional evaluation of cereals using portable hyperspectral imaging cameras. The specific objectives are:

- Assess the nutritional status (e.g., N, P, K, S and Mg) of wheat using portable hyperspectral cameras in a controlled environment.

- Develop the use of portable hyperspectral cameras for plant nutritional diagnosis in different field conditions.

- Explore the potential for developing an imaging-based system for on-farm use.

Collaboration

This project is a collaboration between research groups of the Department of Crop Production Ecology at SLU.

Contact

Julianne Oliveira, Researcher
Department of Crop Production Ecology, Crop production science
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
julianne.oliveira@slu.se, +46 90-786 87 24, +46 76-763 71 29

Electra Lennartsson, Doctoral student
Department of Crop Production Ecology, Crop production science
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
electra.lennartsson@slu.se, +46 18-67 27 22, +46 76-720 07 35

Martin Weih, Professor
Department of Crop Production Ecology, Crop production science
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
martin.weih@slu.se, +46 18-67 25 43, +46 70-382 25 43

David Parsons, Professor
Department of Crop Production Ecology, Crop production science
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
david.parsons@slu.se, +46 90-786 87 14, +46 73-089 34 45