EFFECT OF DIFFERENT NITROGEN FERTILIZATION RATES ON THE SPECTRAL RESPONSE OF Brachiaria brizantha cv. MARANDu LEAVES

Hyperspectral sensors and regression analysis have been used to analyze the most important spectral ranges for biophysical parameters of target crops, aiding in management decision-making. This study aimed to analyze the spectral response of Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu leaves to increasing rates of urea fertilization and predict leaf nitrogen content (LNC). Four rates of urea fertilization (0, 25, 50, and 75 kg of N ha-1) were applied. Eight leaves were collected per plot seven times at monthly intervals and subjected to hyperspectral analysis. Leaf spectral responses differed statistically within the visible region, particularly at 550 nm (green). The regression models achieved moderate to good R2 values (0.53 to 0.83) for predicting LNC and identified important wavelengths in the red edge region (715 to 720 nm). These findings demonstrate the potential of spectral analysis to detect changes and forecast leaf nitrogen content in B. brizantha cv. Marandu crops at different fertilization levels.