Capability of crop canopy sensing to predict crop parameters of cut grass swards aiming at early season variable rate nitrogen top dressings

This study aims to evaluate actual biomass and N-uptake estimates with the Yara N-Sensor in intensively managed grass swards across several trial sites in Europe. The dataset was split by location into an independent calibration data (UK and Finland) and a validation data (Germany) for the first two cuts. Yara N-Sensor readings were better correlated with N-uptake (R²=0.71) than actual biomass (R²=0.53) for the 1ˢᵗ cut. At the 2ⁿᵈ cut, the R² values for both parameters were higher (0.80 and 0.56). A cross-validation with a German grass trial indicated the potential for predicting N-uptake (R²>0.8). It can be concluded that the technology has the potential to guide management decisions and variable rate nitrogen application on European grass swards.