Within-field variation in deoxynivalenol (DON) contents in oats

The within-field variability of the toxin deoxynivalenol (DON) in oats grain was investigated in two fields in southwestern Sweden one field had been ploughed while no-till cultivation was practiced in the other field. The DON concentrations varied between 28 and 1,755 mu g/kg. A MARSplines prediction model for DON was constructed based on data from a satellite image, an ECa sensor and airborne laser scanning. DON levels tended to be highest in patches with silty soils in the otherwise clayey fields. All sensor data provided useful input to the model, indicating that sensor data that are related to soil and crop conditions have a potential to describe the DON variability within-fields.