Advances in the use of satellite technology are allowing researchers to measure nutrient levels in Australia's forestry plantations more accurately.
The use of remote sensing could also prove faster, cheaper and better from an occupational health and safety perspective than traditional methods, according to the findings of research on Radiata pine plantations on the South Australian/Victorian border.
"We've moved a step closer to being able to provide forestry managers with practical tools to help them plan more effective fertiliser applications and research programs," says Dr Neil Sims, CSIRO remote sensing research scientist and co-author of the project report.
"Radiata pine growth in southern Australia is often restricted by low soil fertility.
"Currently, forestry companies spend more than $10m annually checking nutrient levels and applying fertilisers. However, field samples may not adequately represent the range and distribution of nutrient concentrations across the wider plantation.
"If fertiliser is applied where it is not required, valuable nutrients can be lost through run-off and other natural processes and can find their way into local waterways where they can lead to environmental problems, such as undesirable algal growth."
A FWPA funded project compared satellite image data with field measurements obtained from the same plantations. The project used hyperspectral satellite images to map concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, iron, zinc, copper and boron in radiata pine foliage and found the images could potentially provide accurate information across entire plantations.
"The satellite data can be used to direct the field sampling to the most undernourished areas and will also tell you about any problem areas in between your sampling points," Sims says.
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