Driving Grower Profitability with Precision Decisions...Precision Farming Defined: Precision farming...
Transcript of Driving Grower Profitability with Precision Decisions...Precision Farming Defined: Precision farming...
Driving Grower Profitability with Precision Decisions
Markus Braaten , CCA
Trimble Ag Business Solutions
Manager of Agronomic Precision Services
Cropping System Context
Mission of AGRI-TREND
“Helping farmers allocate scarce resources to supply the world with a safe, reliable, profitable food supply in an environmentally sustainable
manner.”
Precision Farming Defined:
Precision farming (PA) or satellite farming or site specific crop management (SSCM) is a farming management concept based on observing, measuring and responding to inter and intra-field variability in crops. Crop variability typically has both a spatial and temporal component which makes statistical/computational treatments quite involved. The holy grail of precision agriculture research will be the ability to define a Decision Support System (DSS) for whole farm management with the goal of optimizing returns on inputs while preserving resources. The reality today is that seemingly simple concepts such the ability to define management zones, areas where different management practices will apply, for a single crop type on a single field over time are difficult to define…
Wikipedia (2013)
Macro Trends Influencing Precision Ag
An Increasing Yield Environment
532 buDavid Hula, Renwood Farms, VA – 2015
national corn yield champion and current
world record holder.
Total Uptake (lbs/A)
N 595.8
P2O5 271.3
K2O 718.2
S 79.8
An Increasing Yield Environment
This chart shows cost on a per-bushel basis. From 1990 -2006, cost per bushel were relatively flat a compared to costs
on a per-acre basis. Fertilizer costs per bushel increased an average of 1.4%, pesticide costs by 2.4%, and seed costs
by 2.9%. Since 2006, the increases have been much larger. Fertilizer costs per bushel increased an average of 5%,
pesticide costs by 4.6% and seed costs by 10.1%. As a result, costs per bushel have grown in recent years.
Source Illinois Farm Business Farm Management
It’s not enough to grow bushels…we need to grow profitable bushels…
Yield optimization for profit maximization
How Can Precision Ag Help?
Variability Exits…
Significant Variable Yield Potential Necessitates Variable Management
6421 3 5
Speaking CPUP
(Cost Per Unit Production)
Anticipated CPUP @ 90 bu/Ac
Do I have Variability?
Does the Variability Warrant
Variable Management?
CPUP 48 bu
73 bu
90 bu
-42 bu
-17 bu
0 bu
$5.18/bu
$3.41 bu
$2.76/bu
Red Zone
Yellow Zone
Green Zone
Field Average CPUP
$2.95/bu
Flat Rate Fertility with a 90 bu/Ac target…
Sampling by Zone
50 bu
70 bu
85 bu
90 bu
-2 bu
+3 bu
0 bu
0 bu
$3.88/bu
$3.01 bu
$2.85/bu
$2.76/bu
Zone 1
Zone 2
Zone 3
Zone 4
CPUP by Zone
VRT Fertility
acknowledging
variable yield
potential…
95 bu
-5 bu
$2.82/bu
Zone 5
Precision
+$7.36/Ac
Flat Rate
Mapping Profit
Understanding the nature of Spatial Variability associated with CPUP becomes the first step to defining grower ROI.
Bridging the Technology Gap
+ =