August has been a busy month at our supersite near Aarhus where the spring barley has been harvested.
Harvesting in SmartField is somewhat more complex than in a conventional field.
The supersites are divided into both small and larger plots, each with different treatments that have the potential to reduce N₂O emissions. A small plot combine is used for harvesting according to a detailed plan. The yield of each plot is carefully measured and a sample is sent to our grain lab for analysis of e.g. water content and nitrogen content. Straw yield is also measured and samples sent for analysis of nitrogen content. The results will be used to calculate N uptake in the crop.
The yield data is an essential part of the comprehensive dataset that we gather in SmartField. Data is collected year-round from the two supersites and with the mobile system to improve accounting of N₂O emissions from Danish soils and with the goal of reducing N₂O emissions without negatively impacting yield or increasing nitrogen loss to other sources.
See the pictures below and watch the video where Michael Erlang-Nielsen, Principal Investigator, Danish Technological Institute, explains how the spring barley is harvested in SmartField.
