Remote sensing methods for monitoring the productivity of winter triticale in forest-steppe of the middle Volga river region

Application of remote sensing to monitor the density of weed populations, the nitrogen concentration in leaves and the productivity of winter triticale includes prior ground-based observations of the crops state and their weed infestation with the installation of markers and the determination of their coordinates; multispectral aerial photography of crops from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV); processing of obtained aerial photographs using the NDRE and NDVI indices and their interpretation by the color mosaic of images and ground markers with the identification of the boundaries of plant communities depending on the state of the crop and the distribution of weeds; drawing up a coordinate map of their distribution; application of nitrogen fertilizers and necessary herbicides during the growing season by precision farming methods on the basis of compiled maps. For weed recognition in triticale crops and the nitrogen content in plant leaves, the best results are obtained from aerial photographs processed using the NDRE index, where plant communities with normal chlorophyll and nitrogen content in the leaves have NDRE values 0,45–0,60; with moderate nitrogen deficiency and a reduced concentration of chlorophyll in the leaves – 0,35–0,45; with an increased lack of nitrogen – 0,25–0,35; with a high number of weeds – 0,075–0,25. The spectral density of energy brightness (SDEB) of the radiation reflected by leaves of the crop and weeds was measured with the PSR-1100 field spectroradiometer in the wavelength range of 320‒1100 nm. It was demonstrated that its changes depending on the wavelength were similar for both triticale and weeds, with the lowest values of SDEB in all parts of the spectra for triticale, and higher values for dicotyledonous weeds, which were bright green on the NDVI image. Nitrogen fertilizers in triticale crops are used in autumn when cultivating the soil before sowing (15‒20% of the total nitrogen norm), as well as in spring-summer growing season – early in the spring during the tillering stage (20‒30%), in late spring at the beginning of booting (up to 50‒60%) and in the first half of summer during the stages of heading and filling (5‒10%). Before additional fertilizing during the growing season it is advisable to take aerial photographs of crops from UAV and apply the NDRE index when processing aerial images for the purpose of spatial assessment of the nitrogen content in plant leaves and the density of weeds in crops. If necessary, herbicides are used after the first and second aerial surveys during the stages of tillering and beginning of booting. Schematic maps of weed infestation of crops based on the results of the third aerial survey during the stages of heading and filling are used to assess the loss of grain yield caused by weeds. 

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