Method for fertilizing cultivated plants for optimizing the quantity and quality of the yield

• US 6,792,882 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2002
• Issued: 09/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kemira Growhow OY
• Original Assignee: Kemira Agro Oy
• Inventors: Kauppila, Raimo, Aspelin, Bengt, Peltonen, Jari, Kleemola, Jouko
• Primary Examiner(s): PEZZUTO, ROBERT ERIC
• Application Number:
  US10/149,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20030101918A1
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 111/118, 111/119, 111/200, 111/120, 111/121, 111/124-126, 702/2, 702/3, 382/109, 47/576, 47/581, 71/60, 71/61, 71/27, 71/54
• US Class Current: 111/118
• CPC Class Codes: A01C 21/007 Determining fertilization requirements

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for the fertilization of cultivated plants by optimizing the quantity and quality of the yield with the help of a bio-indicator, in which method, before the establishing of the plant stand, the following steps are taken:

the cultivated area is divided into sub-areas;

in each sub-area the potential yield is determined on the basis of a bio-indicator; the optimal bio-indicator level aimed at for the potential crop is selected; the nitrogen fertilization required for achieving the desired optimal level of the bio-indicator in the potential crop is determined;

and thereafter, in connection with the planting, a nitrogen fertilizer is spread, and nitrogen fertilizer is optionally spread once or several times, after the planting, according to the said fertilization requirement, the realization of the potential yield being monitored during the growing season in each sub-area by a plant stand measurement, and on the basis of these measurements additional nitrogen fertilizer is spread once or several times, according to need, in order to attain the desired bio-indicator level.

Claims

1. Method for the fertilization of cultivated plants by optimizing the quantity and quality of the yield with the help of a bio-indicator, characterized in that, before the establishing of a plant stand, the following steps are taken:

the cultivated area is divided into sub-areas;

in each sub-area the potential yield is determined on the basis of a bio-indicator;

the optimal bio-indicator level aimed at for the potential crop is selected;

the nitrogen fertilization required for achieving the desired optimal level of the bio-indicator in the potential crop is determined;

and thereafter, in connection with the planting of the seed, nitrogen fertilizer is spread, and nitrogen fertilizer is optionally spread once or several times, after the planting, according to the said fertilization requirement, the realization of the potential yield being monitored during the growing season in each sub-area by means of plant stand measurement, and on the basis of these measurements additional nitrogen fertilizer is spread, if required, once or several times in order to attain the desired bio-indicator level.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the cultivated plant is a grain and that the bio-indicator is a protein.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the cultivated plant is sugar beet and that the bio-indicator is amino nitrogen.

4. The method according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the measuring of the bio-indicator level is carried out during the growing season by using sensor techniques, aerial photography or satellite photography.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the quantity of the yield and the crop bio-indicator level in the growing season or in the preceding growing seasons are taken into account in the determination of the nitrogen fertilizer requirement in each sub-area.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that at the harvesting stage there are prepared a yield map and a bio-indicator map, such as a protein map, which are used in the preparation of the fertilization recommendations for the subsequent growing seasons.