Precision Agriculture as input for the Rice Grain (Oryza sativa L.) Biofortification with Selenium

With population growth worldwide, the production of quality and quantity food is increasingly pressing. As such, it becomes essential to develop new agricultural technologies to increase productivity. Under this assumption, an agronomic workflow for Se biofortification of two genotypes resulting from genetic breeding (OP1505 and OP1509) were selected for evaluation through foliar fertilization with sodium selenate (Na₂SeO₄) and sodium selenite (Na₂SeO₃) with different concentrations (300 and 500 g Se.ha⁻¹). Aiming to characterize, through precision agriculture, the experimental fields production and monitor the state of the culture (slope, surface drainage, water lines and normalized differences vegetation index - NDVI), an Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) synchronized by global positioning system (GPS) was used. It was found that after sown, the water drainage pattern became profoundly altered, following the artificial pattern, created by the grooves between plots. NDVI values, compared to the control, did not show significant differences. These data were correlated with physiological monitoring during biofortification. In fact, as shown by the eco-physiological data obtained through leaf gas exchanges, the application of 300 g Se.ha⁻¹ did not show any toxicity effects in the biofortified plants. In a context of innovation, it was concluded that the use of precision agriculture techniques in conjunction with leaf gas exchanges measurements allowed an efficient monitoring of the field conditions and culture to implement a rice biofortification itinerary.