{"title":"Real-time nitrogen monitoring and management to augment N use efficiency and ecosystem sustainability–A review","authors":"Swathy Ravikumar , Geethalakshmi Vellingiri , Pazhanivelan Sellaperumal , Kannan Pandian , Annamalai Sivasankar , Hwang Sangchul","doi":"10.1016/j.hazadv.2024.100466","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Agriculture faces the pressing challenge of feeding a growing population while preserving the environment and natural resources. Nitrogen (N) is an essential nutrient for plant growth, and its availability in soil is a key indicator of fertility. However, the indiscriminate use of N fertilizers can lead to nutrient imbalances and soil degradation, underscoring the need for accurate and efficient soil N management. Traditional sampling and analysis methods are time-consuming and prone to error, making real-time soil N assessments crucial for effective management. Moreover, precise estimation of soil N is vital for monitoring losses, developing targeted fertilizer strategies, and enhancing crop productivity and N use efficiency. Real-time N management, which involves applying N as needed during critical growth stages, can significantly improve its usage efficiency. To achieve this, the leaf color chart offers a simple, inexpensive, and user-friendly solution for assessing N needs based on leaf color, facilitating real-time management. Furthermore, sensors and the Internet of Things (IoT) play a key role in sustainable soil management and crop productivity, contributing to the development of resilient food systems and reducing uncertainty in global food markets. Accurate, rapid, cost-effective methods for assessing soil N levels are essential to achieve these sustainable goals. This review delves into the current status, limitations, and future of N-sensing in precision agriculture, highlighting cutting-edge technologies such as real-time monitoring using remote and proximal sensors, ground-based canopy sensors, drones, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) equipped with high-resolution cameras or multispectral/hyperspectral sensors, Geographic Information Systems (GIS)- Global Positioning Systems (GPS) integration (GIS-GPS), data analysis, Variable Rate Technology (VRT) and crop models for precise N management. By harnessing these innovations, we can revolutionize agriculture, benefiting plant health and promoting a more sustainable future.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":73763,"journal":{"name":"Journal of hazardous materials advances","volume":"16 ","pages":"Article 100466"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772416624000676/pdfft?md5=59131c178cdfd67eb9ebf129bda83543&pid=1-s2.0-S2772416624000676-main.pdf","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of hazardous materials advances","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772416624000676","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Agriculture faces the pressing challenge of feeding a growing population while preserving the environment and natural resources. Nitrogen (N) is an essential nutrient for plant growth, and its availability in soil is a key indicator of fertility. However, the indiscriminate use of N fertilizers can lead to nutrient imbalances and soil degradation, underscoring the need for accurate and efficient soil N management. Traditional sampling and analysis methods are time-consuming and prone to error, making real-time soil N assessments crucial for effective management. Moreover, precise estimation of soil N is vital for monitoring losses, developing targeted fertilizer strategies, and enhancing crop productivity and N use efficiency. Real-time N management, which involves applying N as needed during critical growth stages, can significantly improve its usage efficiency. To achieve this, the leaf color chart offers a simple, inexpensive, and user-friendly solution for assessing N needs based on leaf color, facilitating real-time management. Furthermore, sensors and the Internet of Things (IoT) play a key role in sustainable soil management and crop productivity, contributing to the development of resilient food systems and reducing uncertainty in global food markets. Accurate, rapid, cost-effective methods for assessing soil N levels are essential to achieve these sustainable goals. This review delves into the current status, limitations, and future of N-sensing in precision agriculture, highlighting cutting-edge technologies such as real-time monitoring using remote and proximal sensors, ground-based canopy sensors, drones, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) equipped with high-resolution cameras or multispectral/hyperspectral sensors, Geographic Information Systems (GIS)- Global Positioning Systems (GPS) integration (GIS-GPS), data analysis, Variable Rate Technology (VRT) and crop models for precise N management. By harnessing these innovations, we can revolutionize agriculture, benefiting plant health and promoting a more sustainable future.