Producing Mid-Season Nitrogen Application Maps for Arable Crops, by Combining Sentinel-2 Satellite Images and Agrometeorological Data in a Decision Support System for Farmers. The Case of NITREOS

NITREOS (Nitrogen Fertilization, Irrigation and Crop Growth Monitoring using Earth Observation Systems) is a farm management information system (FMIS) for organic and conventional agriculture which aims in enabling farmers to tackle crop abiotic stresses and control important growing parameters to ensure crop health and optimal yields. NITREOS employs a user friendly, web-based platform that integrates satellite remote sensing data, numerical weather predictions and agronomic models, and offers a suite of farm management advisory services to address the needs of smallholder farmers, agricultural cooperatives and agricultural consultants. This paper provides an analysis of different methodologies employed in the nitrogen fertilization service of NITREOS. The methods are based on the determination of the Nitrogen Fertilization Optimization Algorithm for cotton, maize and wheat crops. Available agro-meteorological data on two distinct agricultural regions were used for the calibration and validation of the recommended Nitrogen rates.