N-PILOT
Sold commercially
The N-Pilot® is a portable tool for measuring crop canopy reflectance. The tool provides a nitrogen fertilization recommendation for all types of cereals and a biomass estimate for rapeseed.
For cereals, the tool requires the establishment of an over-fertilized reference zone to create a standard zone where nitrogen is not the limiting factor. On rapeseed, calibration is carried out on bare soil. The tool's principle is therefore based on a comparison of crop development between the reference zone and the rest of the plot, in order to monitor the crop's real nitrogen requirements as closely as possible.
A smartphone application and a dedicated website, combined with a user account, enable the user to receive, consult and automatically archive the measurement reports sent by the device. The smartphone application, connected to the device at the time of measurement, enables instantaneous transmission of information, including geolocation of measurements.
Access the tool
| Name in original language | N-PILOT |
| Name in English | N-PILOT |
| Designer/ manufacturer | LAT Nitrogen |
| Accessibility | Sold commercially |
| Weblink | https://www.lat-nitrogen.com/content/advice-and-service/n-pilot%28r%29-2 |
| Countries of primary use | Austria, France, Germany, Romania, Hungary, Bulgaria |
| Main language | French |
| Other languages available | English, German, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Romanian |
| Brief description of the tool | The N-Pilot® is a portable tool for measuring crop canopy reflectance. The tool provides a nitrogen fertilization recommendation for all types of cereals and a biomass estimate for rapeseed. For cereals, the tool requires the establishment of an over-fertilized reference zone to create a standard zone where nitrogen is not the limiting factor. On rapeseed, calibration is carried out on bare soil. The tool's principle is therefore based on a comparison of crop development between the reference zone and the rest of the plot, in order to monitor the crop's real nitrogen requirements as closely as possible. A smartphone application and a dedicated website, combined with a user account, enable the user to receive, consult and automatically archive the measurement reports sent by the device. The smartphone application, connected to the device at the time of measurement, enables instantaneous transmission of information, including geolocation of measurements. |
| Target user | Tool/product manufacturer |
| Target crops | Barley, Wheat, Oilseed rape |
| Type of tool | Crop analysis |
| The tool assesses or provides guidance on | NDVI |
| Nutrients assessed | Nitrogen (N) |
| Nutrients assessed in the lab | Not included |
| The tool relies on a base recommendation system | Yes |
| Base recommendation system | Balance sheet forecasting method for N, in accordance with the equations defined by the COMIFER. |
| The assessment frequency should be | Once per growing season |
| Required data input is | Crop, Variety, Growth stage |
| The data can be imported from other tools and systems | No |
| The tools main output format is | PDF file |
| Data can be exported | No |
Funded by the European Union and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union, European Commission or UKRI. Neither the European Union, European Commission nor UKRI can be held responsible for them.
Project Coordinators
Sarah Kendall
sarah.kendall@adas.co.ukSpyros Fountas
sfountas@aua.grheurope.nutrichecknet@gmail.com
Project Partners
