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Evaluating an Online Tool for Managing Water and
Nitrogen Fertilizer for Celery and Strawberry
Production in California
Andre Biscaro,Irrigation and Water Resources Advisor
Univ. of Calif. Cooperative Extension, Ventura County
Need for increased water and nitrogen use efficiency
• Environmental stewardship/regulations
• Yield and quality
Web-based Software Examples
• Agrian https://home.agrian.com/
• AgWorld www.agworld.co
• AgriTracking Systems http://www.agritrackingsystems.com/
• SMART! Fertilizer Management http://www.smart-fertilizer.com/
Inputs vary significantly
• Different nutrient budgeting methods
• Soil samples
• Satellite images
• Weather station data
• Soil moisture sensors
• Mapping
• Expected yield
Other factors to consider
• Costs
• Accuracy
• User interface
Database driven web application
Crop ET model
Crop N model
Water Recommendation
N fertilizer Recommendation
Soil and Ranch
Soil nitrate test
CIMIS ETo
www.cropmanage.ucanr.edu
General Objectives
➢ Better understand plant growth and needs for water and N
➢ Create practical and efficient means for water and N fertilizer management
Specific Objective
Assess CropManage’s water and nitrogen fertilizer recommendations
Waterrecommendation
✓ Irrigation system application rate
✓ Irrigation system applicationuniformity (DU)
✓ Leaching fraction (water salinity)
How Much Water?
Kc
x
ETo
How is N fertilizer rate determined?
Soil N:Quick Test
Fertilizer N = Crop N uptake and Soil N threshold
Crop uptake???
(ppm NO3-N) (weekly lbs N/acre)
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Lbs
N/A
DAP
UC Studies
Field Assessments –Strawberry
• 3 fields, randomized complete block design
• 2 treatments: Water and N fertilizer managed according to
CropManage (CM) vs Grower Standard (GS)
• 2 years
Results Summary - Strawberry
Year County Marketable Yield of CropManage
Water use of CropManage
Fertilizer use of CropMange
relative to grower standard:2015-
2016
Ventura 22% higher (P=0.0008 )
14% higher 34% higher
2016-2017
Ventura 27% higher (P=0.0023)
32% higher 26% higher
2016-
2017
Monterey 2% higher (P<0.05)
29% lower 10% lower
Field details
✓ Location: Oxnard, CA
✓ Cultivar: Fronteras
✓ 1.6m (64”) bed, two high flow tapes
✓ 7.6m (25ft) long plots
✓ Soil: Hueneme loamy sand (6% clay, 83% sand and 11% silt)
✓ Water: EC = 1.6 dS/m
✓ Pre-plant fertilizer (controlled release): 197 kg N ha-1
✓ Main N fertilizer source: CN9
Strawberry ExampleCM GS CM GS GS CM CM GS
Flow meters
Weekly soil sample for nitrate
Soil Moisture Sensors
In-Season N Fertilizer Applied
*Pre-plant fertilizer (controlled release): 176 lbs N/acre
kg N
ha-1
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
CM GS
Cumulative Drip-Applied WaterTotal Precipitation = 258mm total
mm
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
CM GS
0
10
20
30
40
Soil Moisture at 15cm depth
0
10
20
30
Wet
---
----
----
----
----
Dry
CM GS
(-kPa)
Canopy Coverage
0
20
40
60
80
100
CM GS
(%)
Marketable Yield
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
Grams/plot
CM GS
CM/GSJan 2%Feb 0%
March -2%April 36%May 73%June 26%Avg 27%
Grams per fruit
0
10
20
30
40
50
60CM GS
Cull rate (%)
0%
10%
20%
30%
CM GS
Results Summary
CM GS CM vs GS
Drip-applied water (mm) 687 510 35% more
Total N fertilizer use (kg N ha-1) (Pre-plant + in-season)
320 (197 + 123)
246 (197 + 49)
30% more
Total marketable yield (kg plot-1) 130.3 (a) 102.2 (b) 27% more
Cull rate (%) 15 (a) 18 (b) 3% less
(Different letters indicate statistically significant differences between treatments)
CM vs GS
2017 2016
Water 35% more 14% more
N fertilizer 30% more 34% more
Yield 27% more* 22% more*
Cull rate 3% less* 1% less*
Results Summary
*Differences were statistically significant
2017 Field Day2016 Field Day
Field Assessments –Celery
• 4 fields, randomized complete block design
• 2 treatments: Water and N fertilizer managed according to
CropManage (CM) vs Grower Standard (GS)
• 2 seasons
Fields Details
Field/Stu
dy
Trial
area
(ha)
Location/
County
Planting date Days to
harvest
Bed
width
(m)
Soil type Rainf
all
(mm)
1 0.5 Ventura Jan 22, 2016 115 1 Hueneme
sandy loam
0
2 0.5 Ventura Aug 9, 2016 91 1 Camarillo
loam
0
3 0.7 Ventura Aug 16, 2016 126 1 Camarillo
sandy loam
0
4 3 Monterey Aug 6, 2016 101 1 Salinas clay
loam
76
Flow meters
Weekly soil sample for nitrate
Soil Moisture Sensors
Results Summary - Celery
Study #
County Study type Marketable yield
Water use Fertilizer use
relative to grower standard:
1 Ventura Replicated 5.8% higher (P=0.286)
1.2% higher 24.1% lower
2 Ventura Replicated 0.7% higher (P=0.864)
22.0% lower 10.6% lower
3 Ventura Replicated 13.5% higher (P=0.448)
2.1% higher 24.3% lower
4 Monterey Replicated 2.6% higher(P=0.411)
11.1% lower 3.7% higher
Nitrogen Fertilization
0
50
100
150
200
250
Kg
N h
a-1
CM GS
24% less (69 kg ha-1)
Applied water (mm)
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
CM GS
Results Summary
CM GS CM vs GS
Applied water (mm) 330 325 SimilarTotal N fertilizer use (kg ha-1) 217 287 24% less
Total marketable yield (kg/100m) 2,467* 2,173* -----
*Differences were not statistically significant
Final Thoughts
• Yields of CropManage were either greater or similar compared to comparison treatments for all studies;
• CropManage showed to be efficient in guiding irrigation and N fertilization
• Algorithms for water and N will continue to be revised with more research
Acknowledgements
• California Celery Board
• Hortau®
• Sebastian Korob, Driscoll’s
• Crisalida Berry Farms, Matt Conroy, Ezekiel
• Rio Farms, Danny Pereira
• Dole Fresh Vegetables
• Terry Farms, Will Terry
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