Using Digital Image Analysis to Measure the Tissue Nitrogen Content of Creeping Bentgrass

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Abstract

<p>Regular nitrogen applications are required to maintain high quality turfgrass. Over or under applications of nitrogen could result in poor turfgrass growth, higher disease incidence, and poor tolerance to traffic and environmental stresses. New methods to monitor the nitrogen level in turfgrass tissue could be beneficial to turfgrass managers in determining proper nitrogen application rates and timings. The following research was conducted to determine whether tissue nitrogen content of ‘Crenshaw’ creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris Huds.) could be determined through color analysis of turfgrass images. Seven nitrogen rate treatments (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 g m−2) were applied to plots 0.6 m by 2.5 m. Each nitrogen rate treatment was replicated four times in a completely randomized design. Images of each plot were taken with a digital camera in an enclosed container with a standard light source and downloaded to a PC to determine the average hue, saturation, and brightness values. At the same time, tissue samples were collected from each plot and analyzed for tissue nitrogen content using standard laboratory techniques. Multiple linear regression was conducted to predict actual tissue nitrogen from hue, saturation, brightness, date, and soil temperatures, and resulted in r2 values was 0.71. Overall tissue nitrogen predictions with image analysis were probably not accurate enough to use this technique in scientific evaluations. However, most tissue nitrogen values were predicted within 0.5% of the actual value, meaning this could be a potentially useful field tool to monitor the nitrogen status of turf.</p>

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