Corn Nitrogen Management: Vegetation Indices from 3-m Satellite Imagery

This dataset supports a study evaluating 16 vegetation indices derived from 3-meter resolution PlanetScope satellite imagery for in-season nitrogen management in corn. The analysis is based on three on-farm field trials in Indiana in 2021, comparing indices across different tillage systems and crop residue levels. It quantifies relationships between vegetation indices, grain yield, and nitrogen response to estimate optimal application rates.

Use Cases

• Compare the performance of 8 NIR-based and 8 RGB-based vegetation indices for detecting crop nitrogen response in corn.
• Analyze how VI–yield relationships vary across fields with different tillage systems and crop residue conditions.
• Assess the accuracy of vegetation index-derived AONR (AONRvi) estimates relative to yield-based AONR (AONRy) for in-season decision-making.
• Evaluate the impact of image timing (e.g., mid-vegetative period V10–V11) on the deviation of AONRvi from AONRy.

Strengths

• Analyzes 16 distinct vegetation indices (8 NIR-based, 8 RGB-based) for a detailed spectral comparison.
• Uses high-resolution (3-m) PlanetScope satellite imagery across multiple corn growth stages.
• Data is derived from three controlled on-farm field trials with four to five nitrogen rates, providing structured experimental data.
• Published under a permissive CC BY 4.0 license for open use.

Limitations

• The dataset is small in scale (673.6 KB), derived from only three field trials in a single year (2021) and state (Indiana).
• The study found generally weak VI–yield relationships (R² ≤ 0.31) during the vegetative period, with performance varying by field conditions.
• Only 17% of the evaluated VI–N response curves met the selection criteria for reliably estimating the agronomic optimum nitrogen rate.

Provenance

Source

figshare, authored by Ana Morales-Ona.

Collection Method

Data collected from three rainfed on-farm field trials in Indiana with contrasting tillage systems and multiple N rates. PlanetScope imagery was used to calculate vegetation indices.

Time Range

2021 growing season.

Freshness

Last updated March 2026, but the underlying study data is from the 2021 growing season.

Geography

On-farm field trials in Indiana, United States.