Prediction of Sugarcane Yield Based on NDVI and Concentration of Leaf-Tissue Nutrients in Fields Managed with Straw Removal

The total or partial removal of sugarcane (Saccharum spp. L.) straw for bioenergy production may deplete soil quality and consequently affect negatively crop yield. Plants with lower yield potential may present lower concentration of leaf-tissue nutrients, which in turn changes light reflectance of canopy in different wavelengths. Therefore, vegetation indexes, such as the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) associated with concentration of leaf-tissue nutrients could be a useful tool for monitoring potential sugarcane yield changes under straw management. Two sites in São Paulo state, Brazil were utilized to evaluate the potential of NDVI for monitoring sugarcane yield changes imposed by different straw removal rates. The treatments were established with 0%, 25%, 50%, and 100% straw removal. The data used for the NDVI calculation was obtained using satellite images (CBERS-4) and hyperspectral sensor (FieldSpec Spectroradiometer, Malvern Panalytical, Almelo, Netherlands). Besides sugarcane yield, the concentration of the leaf-tissue nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, and S) were also determined. The NDVI efficiently predicted sugarcane yield under different rates of straw removal, with the highest performance achieved with NDVI derived from satellite images than hyperspectral sensor. In addition, leaf-tissue N and P concentrations were also important parameters to compose the prediction models of sugarcane yield. A prediction model approach based on data of NDVI and leaf-tissue nutrient concentrations may help the Brazilian sugarcane sector to monitor crop yield changes in areas intensively managed for bioenergy production.