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INVESTIGATOR: Nagchaudhuri, A.; Marsh, L. E.; Mitra, M.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
UNIV OF MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE
PRINCESS ANNE, MARYLAND 21853

APPLIED RESEARCH AND FIELD EXPERIMENTS USING VARIABLE RATE NITROGEN APPLICATION, REMOTE AND IN SITU SENSING, AND DROUGHT TOLERANT CORN SEEDS

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Modern GPS receivers when connected to data collection devices such as yield/ moisture/ nitrogen level monitors etc. can provide the spatial variation of these attributes "stamped" with geographic coordinates over an entire field. GIS maps of the field data lets farmers visualize variable conditions throughout the field and perform appropriate analysis to determine suitable action. Recent research results also indicate that geo-referenced remote sensing data from aerial images and handheld optical sensors such as "Greenseeker" from a crop canopy at appropriate growth stages can be utilized to gather comprehensive crop health data. These data can be utilized for variable rate nitrogen application rates to improve yield and minimize run off. Nitrogen use efficiency contributes significantly to nutrient management efforts that are a priority (as outlined in Governor O'Malleys Chesapeake Bay Restoration Plan (http://www.baystat.maryland.gov/pdfs/1.pdf) for the rural setting of the Eastern Shore and the Delmarva Peninsula. Recent research and development efforts in agricultural biotech industries are bringing seed varieties for cereal crops such as corn into the commercial market which can tolerate drought. These drought-tolerant seed varieties hold promise in meeting the growing food demands of the world while conserving water use. The world population is likely to double by 2050. Increased yield with efficient utilization of fertilizers and water would be the key elements of sustainable agriculture of the future to address the growing food demand in an environmentally friendly manner within realistic land-use constraints. The proposed project will build capacity at UMES in sustainable production agricultural practices that promote global food security consistent with 21st century technologies. The project will also support graduate and undergraduate students from STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Agriculture, and Mathematics) majors, who will conduct applied research in a vertically integrated multidisciplinary team in a framework that is strongly aligned to the university's land grant mission.

OBJECTIVES: The overall goal of the project is to design and conduct field experiments to develop insight to improve nitrogen use efficiency and tolerance to water stress in production agriculture of cereal crops using a variety of seeds, including newly introduced drought tolerant seeds. Significant effort will be devoted in the early part of the project to reinforce the existing precision agriculture related advanced technology infrastructure on campus by developing the capability for on-the-go sensing of nutrient need in mid season and proportionate fertilizer application at an appropriate growth stage. The project funds will not only support capacity building efforts in sustainable production agriculture practices consistent with 21st century technologies but address workforce development needs by supporting and training graduate and undergraduate students from STEAM ( Science, Technology,Engineering, Agriculture, and Mathematics) majors in a vertically integrated team setting. The project will provide the platform to forge a partnership among academia (UMES), federal agencies (USDA and NASA) and private industries ( Pioneer and Farm-Site Technologies) to address critical issues related to production agriculture for a growing world population in a environmentally friendly manner under ever increasing land use constraints. The partnership will provide a framework for future education, research and extension efforts. The project will successfully demonstrate use of mid season real-time optical sensing of crop canopy and appropriate variable rate application for nitrogen. Field experiments with seed varieties in variable water stress situations will integrate techniques of the variable rate nitrogen application . These experiments are likely to yield significant information related to the efficacy of drought-tolerant seeds and their promised potential to alleviate the food demands of the growing population with limited water and space resources, under strict environmental guidelines. Advances will be made during the project execution to outline cost-effective strategies to carry out remote sensing from platforms such large kites and UAVs carrying multi-spectral cameras for crop vigor and soil moisture analysis. The project will pave the way for master's thesis and/or doctoral dissertation of selected students. It will not only enhance the precision agriculture related infrastructure at UMES, but continue to provide a platform for experiential learning and discovery for all interested undergraduate STEM majors in a critically important area strongly aligned to the 1890 land-grant mission of the university. The participating students will be encouraged to pursue graduate studies at UMES or elsewhere.