Identifying and characterizing yield limiting factors in paddy rice using remote sensing yield maps

Identification and characterization of yield limiting factors based on multi-year yield maps is important for delineating field management zones. Multi-year yield maps were derived from satellite images of a paddy-rice (Oryza sativa L.) study site with a conventional two-cropping system in central Taiwan. Spatiotemporal yield-trend maps with consistently high, average and low yields, and inconsistent yield areas were delineated based on temporal variation and the means of the normalized yields on a per pixel basis. Soil and plant samples were collected and grouped for statistical analysis based on the derived yield-trend maps. Comparison of soil properties and rice yield components among yield classes indicated that differences in leaching loss of basal and top-dressed N fertilizers were the likely limiting factor affecting the spatial variation of yield within the study site.