Nutrient Management Research Database
General Information
Research Title
Link to File
Research Specifications
Authors
Summary/Abstract from Original Source
Precision agriculture techniques can aid in management decisions on established orchards.These same principles can be incorporated into other permanent crops including vineyards. This can be accomplished by analyzing site specific information and relating that information back to profit or loss within the orchard. There are currently several thousand acres that are being mapped in this manner allowing orchard owners and advisers to guide in the future direction of these permanent crops
Research Highlights
Design and Methods
The objectives of this study were two-fold:
- Determine if a need exists in apple management for site specific yield and quality data.
- Demonstrate the benefits of GIS for managing an analyzing apple production practices.
To achieve these objectives the following experiment was performed:
Soil samples were collected along a 1-acre grid from four 10-acre apple plots.
From the results of these soil samples, P and K fertilizer application maps were produced, and utilized to apply fertilizer at a variable rate.
In-season tissue samples ere collected along this same grid.
Yield was measured as relating to the grid collections.
Results
Yield maps showed that variable rate fertilization was useful due to variability to soil nutrient levels. These maps can also be overlaid with nutrient maps, images, and pest data.
This type of mapping can also be useful for pH, N, and other factors that can relate to yield.