Use of remote sensing data for nitrogen management in precision farming

The nitrogen balance is first analyzed with application to wheat and maize fertilization. It shows that frequent evaluation of crop potential uptake and estimation of actual crop nitrogen status is needed. Observation requirements in terms of biophysical variables, accuracy and temporal frequency are then derived. The use of remote sensing techniques to infer these variables is presented and illustrated. A method for nitrogen management is then proposed. Conclusion is drawn on the development of dedicated sensors along with the corresponding algorithms