We added a Crop Scouting operation to SMS Mobile several versions back to help you with this documentation.  This spring we released SMS Mobile Version 5.0 with two new features to help you gather additional information when scouting your fields.

Feature #1 – Ag Leader OptRx crop sensor added as a supported sensor.
With the release of Version 1.1 of the OptRx crop sensor, we are now able to connect an OptRx crop sensor to a PDA, such as the MESA, or to a PC.  SMS Mobile can use a sensor with any operation, but the two most common for OptRx will be Crop Scouting and Coverage Logging.

For those that want to drive through the field with a single sensor, you can use Coverage Logging and SMS Mobile will record the reading automatically as you drive.  Those that want to walk through the field and make notes for specific locations can use the OptRx sensor to look at crop health while checking stand counts and looking for pests.

Feature #2 – Picture Notes
We also added the Layer Notes tool in version 5.0.  You can now make a note with a GPS location and take a picture if your device has a built-in camera, or you can manually add a picture stored on your device.  If you think about the saying “A picture is worth a thousand words,” it doesn’t take long to realize how much easier it is to look at a picture when trying to describe how severe crop damage or insect pressure might be in an area.  This information can then be synced to SMS Basic or SMS Advanced and can be viewed when you create a map or when you create crop scouting reports.

The video below talks more about these features and more when crop scouting with SMS Mobile.

If you’ve been watching or reading the news from eastern Iowa lately, you may have heard about the strong winds that went through the area and caused damage to trees, buildings and crops.  My parents have already taken pictures of the damage in the field, so we will be linking those into SMS Advanced the next time I’m home and then using that layer as a way to evaluate the yield loss compared to areas that were not damaged as badly.

I have compiled the list below to provide a perspective from the tech support department on the common questions we receive regarding OptRx crop sensors and to help you gain a better understanding of how they can work for your operation.

How do the sensors work?
OptRx sensors shine a light on the crop and measure the reflectance of a few specific wavelengths of light.  The light reflectance measured indicates plant biomass and chlorophyll content in the plants.  This allows the sensors to calculate vegetative index.

What is vegetative index (VI)?
Vegetative index is a number between 0 and 1 the OptRx system uses to quantify crop vigor.  A higher VI value indicates better crop vigor while a lower VI value indicates a lower crop vigor.  This gives the grower a snapshot of the overall crop quality when scanned with the OptRx sensors.

What kind of control do I have in the field?
I have spoken with several growers who have concerns over the recommended rate of N from OptRx.  The OptRx system allows the user to have control of the N recommendations. First, there is a minimum and maximum rate, which is defined by the user.  These settings prevent the system from applying too much or too little N.  The system also has a rate offset, which allows the user to add or subtract lbs of N from what OptRx recommends.  For example, you could add an extra 10 lbs of N on top of what the OptRx system is calling for.

How does a Virtual Reference Strip work?
The OptRx does not require an overdose of N on a single pass in every field to calibrate.  Instead, OptRx uses a Virtual Reference strip to determine the best crop vigor in the field.  The way to establish a Virtual Reference Strip is to run through a part of the field where you know you are likely to have better crops for at least five minutes.  During that time, OptRx will determine the best crop vigor. It will then calculate N recommendations and apply more N in areas of low crop vigor and less N in areas of high crop vigor.

While there is a small learning curve to OptRx, most growers I have spoken with have told me that after a few hours of running the system, they feel they have a firm grasp on how it works.  Once they learn not to get lost in the details and realize how to take control of their N application with the OptRx, it becomes an essential precision farming tool.

For additional information, read our previous series of blog posts about OptRx here or visit the OptRx page on our website.

However – probably like your operation – each field has a different yield goal, different amounts of nitrogen pre-applied, and different previous crops with nitrogen credits. In years past, we would typically pick one rate to side-dress all the corn, but in recent years we have decided that we can use more technology to assist us in making the side-dressing operation more nitrogen efficient.

One step towards nitrogen efficiency is making a field list that includes all the nitrogen credits already in each field. For example, some of our fields will have 32%, urea, and fall manure, which would indicate less side-dress nitrogen needs.

Another step we take towards nitrogen efficiency is a two-step process, using the OptRx™ system. We first use the maps made from the OptRx sensor to evaluate the crop. Second, we use the sensor to help apply nitrogen while in the field. In past years I have found that the sensor does a good job predicting corn yield, as you can visually see from the maps to the right. Thus, before we side-dress our corn, we spray our corn with the 2nd pass herbicide (with the OptRx sensor recording maps) and this operation gives a map that gives us an idea of how much stress or lack of stress. We use these maps as another layer of data to evaluate, getting an idea of how the OptRx system will apply the nitrogen, allowing us to make planned adjustments before the side-dress operation. When we begin side-dressing, we have a determined nitrogen range from our own calculations combined with the OptRx sensor maps, allowing us to set the values to operate within our range.

There are many opinions out there on nitrogen usage; however, a final piece of our nitrogen efficiency program is leveraging our experiences from past years. I encourage you to calculate your nitrogen credits, use maps and scouting to evaluate and then reflect on the yield results. The results you see over a period of years is invaluable to your operation and your confidence level when preparing to apply nitrogen to your crop.

Chad F. and a grower discussing OptRx.

The weather has started to warm up and dry up over here in Europe and that can only mean one thing – time to go to the field! This is the time of year when spring crops are sown, vegetables planted and nitrogen applied to the winter crops, and it is the nitrogen application I am focusing on for this blog.

As most of you probably know, Ag Leader introduced the OptRx crop sensor system in 2009, and we have set up a number of trials throughout Europe since then. For the first year, it was mostly controlled trials carried out by universities and specialist organisations such as ADAS. We also carried out a very limited number of field scale trials. This year, we have expanded our field scale trials so that we can have better information on how the sensors are performing. So during the week of March 14th, Chad Fick (OptRx Product Specialist) came over to Europe to join me on a brief tour of some of our users.

We spent the first two days in the UK visiting three OptRx users. The first farm was JJ and TW Morley who farm 400ha in Leicestershire. They were one of the first users of OptRx last year and have been satisfied with the performance so far.

Setting up the reference strip.

One of the few fields in the UK with no tramlines!

Our final stop in the UK was at Harnage Estates who farm approximately 1400ha in Shropshire. They have been using sensors for a few years now but have now opted to buy an OptRx system as opposed to leasing a previous unit. Apart from OptRx, they have DirectCommand for the sprayer and yield monitoring for the two combines. Doug is the operator who we visited and he has been pleased with the way the Ag Leader system is working for him, but has also suggested some improvements we could make along the way.

Applying N on a typical British day.

Our next stop was over in France about  two hours north of Bordeaux. Here we were meeting with Nicolas Vieren from Satplan and one of his customers, Mr. Vincent. They farm about 800ha and have also been used to using VRA N, but through satellite imagery. This year they have decided to try real time VRA and are using the OptRx system, which is their first Ag Leader product. This has been fitted to one of the widest machines I have ever seen!

A 40m wide Airtec sprayer.

The visit culminated in a trip to the Netherlands to visit Jacob van den Borne, who is one of the largest potato producers in the country (click here to see their website). This was a very interesting trip, as Jacob has done some extensive comparative studies with a variety of sensors on the market. He is currently compiling the results from his 2010 trials which will make for some interesting reading!

As I am writing this, some users are already on the 2nd application of N for OSR (Canola) and already are citing some interesting observations about the areas that have been applied by OptRx.

Mike Olson and Lori Costello receive Ag Leader's FinOvation award.

In recent months, Ag Leader has received awards recognizing our products and their importance to the precision agriculture industry. Last month, Ag Leader received a FinOvation Award from Farm Industry News, presented during the 2011 National Farm Machinery Show. This award commended Ag Leader and AutoFarm for precision navigation with the INTEGRA display and ParaDyme automated steering system.

The FinOvation Award recognizes new products that benefit corn and soybean growers. This year, 22 winners were awarded for their innovative agricultural products of 2010 based on reader interest. For more information about the FinOvation awards, visit http://farmindustrynews.com/farm-equipment/2011-finovation-awards.

In November 2010, Ag Leader received the Ag Innovations Award at Western Canada’s Agri-Trade exposition for the OptRx™ crop sensor.  The Ag Innovations award recognized Ag Leader for the innovative features and applications of the OptRx™ crop sensor and its importance to the ag industry.

Stuart Lawrence receives Ag Leader's Ag Innovations award.

Ag Innovations honors inventors, innovators and fabricators in the agricultural industry who are advancing the interest of farmers everywhere. The award was first presented in 2008 as part of the 25^th anniversary of the Agri-Trade exposition, and the awards are chosen by an impartial panel of farmers representing an ag specialty reflected by the entrants for the award. Learn more about the Ag Innovations award at http://agri-trade.com/aginnovations.html.

Ag Leader is honored to have received these awards, and we will continue to be a leader and innovator in the precision ag industry for years to come. Thanks to the agricultural industry for supporting us!

A fully operational planter and sprayer are being utilized as training aids for SeedCommand™ and DirectCommand™.  The planter features the current supported row units, dual hydraulic drives, vacuum, PMM & STMM modules, SureStop® clutches, and the INTEGRA™, EDGE™ and InSight™ displays. The sprayer features OptRx™ crop sensors, inline, bypass and PWM 12v components, along with direct injection. In addition, we have brought in a fully operational strip till cart and spinner spreader bed.

We are also using four tractors – one Case, one John Deere and two Challengers – fully equipped with ParaDyme® and OnTrac2™ steering units to provide hands-on training of our guidance and steering products.

Finally, one of the classrooms at Ag Leader Academy is equipped with 25 INTEGRA displays, 25 EDGE displays and 25 InSight displays for hands-on display training. In addition, this classroom contains a computer at every workstation and is used for SMS Software training as well.

As you can see, we have worked hard to ensure that our dealers receive a very involved and comprehensive training so they can share that knowledge and expertise with their customers. To see the list of customer training dates available please click here; we look forward to seeing you at training!

Ag Leader Customer Trainings: http://www.agleader.com/customer-support/training-sessions/hardware-training/

The INTEGRA firmware update will enable Virtual Terminal on the display.

The INTEGRA display will gain several new features with this update, including compatibility with the ISO 11783 Virtual Terminal standard, Advanced Seed Monitoring for corn planting, and support for the OnTrac2™ assisted steering system. Both the INTEGRA and EDGE displays will now support Ag Leader’s new GPS 2500 smart antenna/receiver.

Several enhancements have been made to both the INTEGRA and EDGE displays’ firmware as well. The update will provide a reduction in gaps on coverage maps when using AutoSwath with SeedCommand, and the on-screen map will now exclude undesired log points outside of the field operation that previously required a user to “Clear Bounds.” For more information about the latest updates to the INTEGRA and EDGE firmware, see the full release notes on the firmware download page.

Download Version 2.1 Firmware for the INTEGRA display

Download Version 4.1 Firmware for the EDGE display

In addition, the latest firmware update for the ParaDyme® automated steering system has also been released. Click here to download the ParaDyme firmware update.

For optimum performance, OptRx should be used to apply nitrogen when the healthiest corn is between V5-V12 (about 2 foot to 7 foot tall).  When using OptRx sensors on wheat, topdress application can occur anytime between tillering and stem elongation.

An applicator that works well with OptRx crop sensors.

The ideal side dress applicator for using OptRx for corn application is a self-propelled high clearance applicator that can clear V12 corn.  These applicators lengthen the application window and also cover more acres per hour than a pull type applicator.

In addition, if you have a high clearance self-propelled machine with spray booms, you can affordably convert this to a side dress applicator by adding drop hoses to the booms between the corn rows.  Drop hoses dribble liquid nitrogen on top of the ground between the rows.  Tank mixing UAN stabilizers with liquid nitrogen reduces the risk of losing nitrogen to the air because it provides more time for nitrogen to be incorporated into the soil by rain.  Another way to reduce losses of nitrogen to the air is to use a Hagie or Miller high clearance machine fitted with a nitrogen toolbar that injects liquid nitrogen into the soil.

In wheat production, any top-dress applicator will work. The type of machine will depend on where you are located geographically.

I hope that these posts have helped answer some of the questions you might have about OptRx crop sensors. OptRx can benefit your operation in many ways, and applying the right amount of nitrogen to the right plant can help you maximize your profit potential.

More information:

OptRx™ Crop Sensors: Your Questions Answered (Part 1)

OptRx™ Crop Sensors: Your Questions Answered (Part 2)

http://www.agleader.com/products/directcommand/optrx

How can OptRx help maximize my profit potential?

Organically Speaking
The amount of organic matter your fields contain plays a big role in how much nitrogen your fields naturally produce. For example, university research has shown that organic matter can produce about 30lbs of nitrogen per % of organic matter per year. Fields can range from 2% to 6% organic matter.  2% organic matter soils produce about 120 lbs/acre less nitrogen than 6% organic matter soils.  This means the ideal nitrogen application can vary by 120 lbs/ac based on organic matter alone.

Variable rate N application with the INTEGRA™ display and OptRx.

By incorporating OptRx into your plan, the crop sensors will sense the lower crop vigor and prescribe more nitrogen than plants in high organic matter areas that have more crop vigor.  In short, OptRx makes up for the reduced amount of nitrogen coming from low organic matter areas while eliminating over application of nitrogen on high organic matter areas.

Too Much Rain
Variability in available nitrogen can also be caused by excessive rainfall.  As much as 5% of plant available nitrogen in saturated soils can be lost to the air per day through a process called denitrification.  This means a soil with 150 lbs/ac of plant available nitrogen can lose 75 lbs/ac of N if it’s waterlogged for 10 days.  Plants growing in these saturated areas will have less crop vigor.  OptRx detects the lower crop vigor and applies more nitrogen.

Do the Math*
Did you know corn plants need to take up about 1 pound of nitrogen/ac from the soil for every 1 bu/ac they produce? The benefit of applying the right amount of nitrogen to nitrogen-deficient corn is so great you can’t afford not to do it.

Let’s assume nitrogen is $0.50/lb, and corn is selling for $4.00/bu, and half the applied nitrogen is taken up by the plant.  By applying the right amount of nitrogen in deficient areas, OptRx provides a 4 to 1 return on the cost of the additional nitrogen.  That’s an extra $200/ac for a $50 investment in nitrogen that OptRx applies on corn 50 lbs/ac deficient in nitrogen.  Plus, OptRx does not over apply nitrogen in good areas. This is why OptRx has outperformed uniform nitrogen rates by $20-$30 in side-by-side field scale trials.

*Wheat plants need to take up 2 pounds of nitrogen/ac from the soil for every 1 bu/ac they produce. Assume nitrogen cost $0.50/lb, wheat sells for $6.00/bu, and half of applied nitrogen is taken up by the plant.  By applying the right amount of nitrogen in deficient areas, OptRx provides a 3 to 1 return on the cost of extra nitrogen.  That’s an extra $150/ac for a $50 investment in nitrogen that OptRx applies on wheat 50 lbs/ac deficient in nitrogen.  This, plus that OptRx does not over apply nitrogen in good areas, is why OptRx has outperformed uniform nitrogen rates by $10-$15 in side-by-side field scale trials.

Next: Part 3 – Applicator Options for Using OptRx. Once growers know how OptRx can help improve their operation, the next questions is what equipment they will need to implement the sensors. The final part of this series will answer some common questions about applicator options with OptRx crop sensors.

More information:

OptRx™ Crop Sensors: Your Questions Answered (Part 1)

http://www.agleader.com/products/directcommand/optrx

How can OptRx help achieve greater plant health?
One of the biggest challenges in agriculture is managing nitrogen. There are many tools to assist with nitrogen management once it’s on the soil, but even then you have to hope for cooperation from Mother Nature. That’s where OptRx crop sensors come in, using a system that applies nitrogen based on crop vigor. By evaluating crop vigor, and taking field variability and crop conditions into account, OptRx applies the right amount of nitrogen to each plant.

How OptRx works.

How does OptRx determine Nitrogen rate?
OptRx works by measuring the reflectance of light it shines on the corn canopy.  OptRx measures reflectance of Near Infrared (NIR) light to determine plant biomass (amount of crop vegetation).  Reflectance of visible band light is used to detect nitrogen in the plant.  OptRx combines reflectance of both light bands to calculate a vegetation index that represents the vigor of the crop.  For example, nitrogen deficient corn plants have lower vegetation index numbers than plants with sufficient nitrogen.

OptRx uses the vegetation index to determine how much nitrogen plants need.  OptRx must first identify the vegetation index number that represents a plant with sufficient nitrogen available.  This is called the vegetation index reference value.  Vegetation index reference value is determined by driving the applicator over the healthiest looking plants for a minimum of five minutes.

OptRx prescribes nitrogen by comparing the real time vegetation index number to the reference value.  The lower the real time vegetation index compared to the reference, the higher the prescribed nitrogen rate.  The principle is to apply the right amount of nitrogen in the right spot. OptRx works the same way in determining the appropriate rate of nitrogen application for both corn and wheat plants.

Next: Part 2 – How can OptRx help maximize profit potential? In the next post in this series, I will talk about how OptRx will help reduce the risk of over application and help make up for variations in organic matter within your fields. Check back next week for Part 2.

More information:

http://www.agleader.com/products/directcommand/optrx

Research and testing is one of INTA’s main priorities. INTA tests new technologies and tries to adapt them to the unique needs of Argentinean farmers and educate the farmers on the benefits of these technologies.  One area that INTA has spent significant time on is precision farming.  The group has tested and analyzed technologies such as yield monitoring, variable rate application, autoswath, autosteer and, most recently, crop sensors.  In fact, INTA will soon start a second round of field trials using crop sensors when applying nitrogen and we will be looking forward to their results.

In addition to research, INTA also focuses on education. Ag Leader was introduced to INTA through our Argentinean distributor D&E.   D&E and INTA have worked together to educate Argentinean farmers on the benefits of precision farming.  Part of this education is INTA’s annual trip to the US with a group of 50-60 Argentinian farmers. This trip allows the farmers to talk with various agricultural companies and see the latest products at the Farm Progress Show.

Andres Mendez, the National Coordinator of the Precision Farming Machinery Project at INTA, says the technologies that Argentinian farmers have adopted the most are planter monitors, yield monitors, guidance, steering and variable rate application.  Moving forward, he believes Argentinean farmers will look to bio-mass and crop sensors along with row-by-row planter control for the greatest improvements in their operations.  “As Argentinean farmers increase their knowledge of their crops, this will lead to a more efficient use of inputs and machinery,” Andres stated.  This, as we know, is the common goal of farmers around the world.

It is always rewarding to work with organizations such as INTA that promote the benefits of precision farming to growers.  INTA has been performing research and providing education to farmers on precision farming for fourteen years, and I hope they continue to do so for many more years to come.  I look forward to working with them in the future and meeting their group at the next Farm Progress Show.

You can learn more about the INTA group by visiting their website at:  www.inta.gov.ar (The website is in Spanish but you can use Microsoft Translator to translate the pages:  http://www.microsofttranslator.com/Default.aspx .  Just copy the URL into the first box, select “Spanish to English” and the web page will be translated.)

Lettuce planting in Cambridgeshire, UK

Well, spring has finally sprung over here!  It seems to have been a long time coming because of an extended winter, but there is no doubt it is here now.  Even as I write this it is 17°C (62°F) which is positively warm for the UK!

Along with the warmer and drier weather comes an increase in field activity. Over the last few weeks spring crops have been sown, fields are being ridged, de-stoned and planted with potatoes, maize is being planted under plastic and winter sown crops are being fertilised.  This last point bring me to the subject of this week’s post: crop sensors.

While this technology has improved, it is not new.  I was personally involved in field scale and plot trials for a particular crop sensor back in the late 90’s whilst living in the US. But as most of you are aware, Ag Leader has been working on its own crop sensor (developed in part by Holland Scientific), and OptRx was released in November.  As part of marketing a global product and conducting research for worldwide use,  Ag Leader has also been undertaking trials for OptRx sensors around the world.  I have listed below some of those whom we have been involved with.

Maria Orio a student from Spain helps with OptRx plot trials in Scotland.

United Kingdom

The trial was organised and conducted by Damien Hartley of the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service (ADAS).  ADAS is extensively involved with research into the optimum use of nitrogen on crops in the UK and conducts commercial research for government and grower groups.  They are acknowledged experts on wheat physiology in the UK. Further trials are also being carried out in Scotland by Soil Essentials on Ag Leader’s behalf.

Denmark

This trial was conducted by Hans Oestergaard of the Danish Agricultural Advisory Service.  This Danish government organisation recommends nitrogen application strategies to all Danish farmers which they are obliged to follow by law to reduce nitrogen pollution.

Poland

The Polish trial was undertaken by Dr. Stanislaw Samborski from The University of Warsaw.

Australia

The Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) has been funded by the Grains Research and Development Council for Austrailia (GRDC) to review crop sensing in Austrailia.  In addition, the Australian Centre for Precision Agriculture is conducting a trial in New South Wales.  FAR is conducting trials on their own small plot sites in Canterbury, located in the South of New Zealand.  In addition, NZ Centres for Precision Agriculture have trial sites at Palmerston North on the North Island.

Plot trials were carried out during 2009 at all these locations and have continued in 2010. But also during 2010, we have been carrying out field scale trials in the UK and some other European countries to assess the real-world benefits of this type of system as well as to gain customer feedback. This is our way of linking the academic research that is being undertaken to the commercial sector where ultimately these sensors will be used.

One of the locations that are doing field scale trials for Ag Leader happens to be not far from where I live in the UK. J.J. and T.W. Morley farm approximately 460 ha (1140 ac) of land in Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.  Land is predominantly split 50-50 between winter wheat and OSR (oil seed rape, also known as canola), but there is 40 ha (100 ac) of field beans thrown into the mix.

Spreading feritliser using OptRx, Leicesterhsire, UK

For the purpose of these field trials, we have chosen three locations on the home farm.  Each location has been split in half; one half will be the standard practise (typically three applications of nitrogen as a flat rate for feed wheat and sometimes a fourth application for milling wheat, all applied post emergence) and the other half will be using the OptRx sensors.  To date there has been a flat rate applied across the entire area earlier on in the year, followed by a second dose on April 9th which was half standard practise and half OptRx recommendations.  This will be followed by a third dose in the next 10 days.  Some of the milling wheat may also receive a fourth dose to help increase the protein content.

During each of the applications, I have been on farm to oversee the operation and make sure that the operator (William Morley) was not only familiar with the equipment but also to make sure that he understood how the system works in terms of the science behind the technology.  Once Will was familiar with the system, everything went smoothly and he even did other fields on the farm because he was impressed with what he saw.  Of course, yield results will ultimately determine success measuring the benefits and economical return for what we have done.

Up to this point, the Morleys’ only experience with precision ag technology was a manual guidance system.  However, now that they have been introduced to variable rate application, they have started to see the potential returns for investing in this type of technology.

William Morley had this to say:

“It has been very interesting watching the VI values change throughout our fields. Usually they change when you would expect them to, but sometimes not.  But one surprise has been how much they change!  We are now starting to see the benefit of this technology and believe the yield mapping will help tie it all together and validate the use of variable rate nitrogen.”

As you can imagine, they are eagerly anticipating harvest time to see the results!

Corn at V5 growth stage.

“What is the application window for side-dressing nitrogen (N)?” I hear this question a lot from corn growers thinking about using crop sensors for variable rate N application.  Imagine how much better we could answer that question if we knew the weather! Unfortunately we don’t have that luxury.

For those who may not be familiar, the application window for corn is quite simply growth stage V5-V12.  V5 growth stage is close to filling a 30″ row or about 1.5-2.0′ tall.  V12 is approximately 5.5-6.0′ tall.

Since I first started working with crop sensors in 2007, I’ve had many conversations with growers about the application window. When the grower says, “I can’t get over all my acres in that time frame”, that’s a clue to me their applicator is a tractor pulling a N toolbar.  My response is that toolbars typically can get through corn taller than V5, but some are still concerned about covering their acres before the corn gets too tall.

Applicator with high clearance toolbar.

So how can the application window be extended?  Answer:  High clearance applicator. That’s not to say there isn’t more than one way to skin a cat, but turning a high clearance sprayer into a N side-dress machine is an option, a very good option in fact. Installing drop hoses on the boom between each corn row turns a sprayer into a N side-dress machine.  Another option is high clearance sprayers made to accept a high clearance toolbar with arms that go between the rows to inject liquid N into the soil.

But what if you don’t have your own high clearance applicator? Your local custom applicator probably has a machine that will do the job.  In fact crop sensors (Ag Leader’s is called OptRx) are a good way for a custom applicator to set themselves apart from their competitors.  I can’t speak for other products, but field testing results showed OptRx routinely outdoes growers’ flat N rate by $15-30/acre. That’s a pretty nice new service for a custom applicator.

In conclusion, crop sensors have many applicator options; some have longer application windows than others.   Always consider the goal at hand – how can you get the most return on your investment?

Testing VRA using InSight display and Bogballe trailed spreader

Agrokor has always been ahead of the curve in terms of innovation and management practices; one example of this is the wheat crop. Average yield for Croatia is approximately 4t/ha (metric tons/hectare) but Agrokor have managed to double this yield to 8t/ha by using modern farming practices and management.

Recently, they have started exploring the world of precision farming.  The main driving factors behind this are to improve productivity and efficiencies whilst maintaining a high quality product.  It wasn’t long before they discovered Ag Leader.  Within the space of a couple of months, I visited the farm for the first time with Ag Leader distributor Findri. Our mission was to test variable rate application (VRA) of phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) based on a prescription map using the Ag Leader InSight™ display and Bogballe fertilizer spreader.  Testing was a resounding success and has since been followed up with a second visit by me and Ag Leader staff.

Ag Leader staff training user on OptRx system

OptRx™ (Ag Leader’s new crop sensor) was also of great interest to Agrokor, not only because of the benefits of real-time VRA nitrogen (N), but also because it seamlessly integrates with their existing equipment.  Initial testing was a success and further trials are to be carried out this year.  The main focus of the trials is to see what real world benefits this technology can bring to Agrokor.  What they are hoping for is more efficient use of N, not necessarily larger yields.

It is a common misconception that VRA N will increase yields when this is not necessarily always the case.  The main goal of this technology is to put product where it is needed and not waste it where it is not needed.  In some cases this many mean higher average yields, in other cases it may mean less N use, but maintaining average yield.

For 2010, trials will be conducted in various locations withing the Agrokor Company and will compare standard practise of applying a flat rate of N versus VRA N using the sensors.  Both practices will rely on local agronomic input to make sure the best results are achieved.  As with the initial trails for VRA P and K, the University of J.J. Strossmayer in Osijek, Faculty of Agriculture will be involved to validate the results and carry out any statistical analysis.

University of J.J. Strossmayer, Faculty of Agriculture called in to carry out testing of VRA

“Simply put, OptRx shines light on a growing plant and then reads the light reflected back at the sensor,” says Roger Zielke, New Business Development Manager. “Then, using a compatible Ag Leader display, the OptRx™ crop sensor system can create a prescription that varies the rate of nitrogen application on-the-go by sensing a crop’s health. For example, OptRx sensors will communicate with the applicator to put on less nitrogen on healthy corn plants and more nitrogen on weaker, nitrogen-deficient corn plants.”
“Nitrogen is applied at a rate that maximizes yield and profit potential in all areas of the field while avoiding excessive nitrogen rates common to flat rate application,” continues Zielke. “Flat rate nitrogen application leaves a lot of money on the table. We’ve seen the variable rate technology of OptRx™ provide input cost efficiency and less environmental impact.”

Additionally, OptRx crop sensors can be mounted on many types of vehicles to collect information while driving through the field. Information collected throughout an entire field, including vegetative index, can then be used to measure the impact of nutrients, water, disease and other growing conditions on crops.

OptRx will be available for the 2010 growing season for mapping sensor readings, which consultants can then use to identify trouble spots in the field. Variable-rate nitrogen application for corn is also included for the 2010 growing season. Ongoing testing continues for OptRx to be used for variable rate nitrogen application in other crops as well as to potentially vary the rate of any agrochemical in which the rate changes with crop size or vigor.

About Ag Leader
Ag Leader Technology, Inc. is a pioneer and recognized technology innovator of precision agriculture hardware and software. Located in Ames, Iowa the company manufactures and markets industry leading precision farming technology designed to help growers make smart, profitable business decisions. Founded in 1992 the company has achieved consistent growth and expansion by providing value-based products that help growers and ag professionals achieve and maintain a successful operation.

For more information visit: www.agleader.com