Work

Nitrogen rate influences on protein concentration, yield, and NDVI in spring wheat following pea and cover crop mixture

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: High‐protein wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) grain is useful for bread flour, and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) can be useful in predicting crop yields and assessing overall crop health in response to a wide variety of management systems. However, protein and NDVI responses to nitrogen rates in systems containing cover crops have been understudied in spring wheat. Protein, grain yield, and NDVI measurements were collected during the spring wheat phase of spring wheat–pea ( Pisum Sativum L.)/cover crop rotations in different plots in 2018 and 2019 at the Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory, Mandan, ND. Grain protein concentration increased with nitrogen (N) rate, but not every level of N rate was significantly different. This result suggests that preceding pea then cover crop mixture can slightly reduce the nitrogen fertilizer requirements of subsequent spring wheat. Spring wheat NDVI did not significantly respond to categorical nitrogen rates, but continuous N rate had a small positive effect. Adding NDVI heterogeneity (as measured by the nugget:sill ratio) improved peak NDVI‐based spring wheat grain yield predictions at the relatively small scales that were measured.

Source: Agrosystems Geosciences & Environment

DOI: 10.1002/agg2.70267

Authors: Drew A. Scott, David W. Archer, Holly Johnson, Michael DeGreef, Raina Hanley, Billi Jean Petermann

Institution: Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory

Language: English

Topic: Agronomic Practices and Intercropping Systems

Subfield: Agronomy and Crop Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Zero hunger

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,040