Precision Ag & Gypsum

Experience

Gypsum: What’s Old is New Again? Gypsum mortar on the

Pyramids Over 200 years ago Ben

Franklin used gypsum “land plaster”

Expensive to mine and transport so the practice was abandoned

Reclaiming drywall gypsum headed for landfills provides a source

$100 Bill

U.S Policy ImpactClean Air Act Requires SO2

ReductionsCoal power plants inject lime to

Scrub sulfur dioxideUses lots of lime & produces

gypsumCheap natural gas reduces coal

use More Air Regulations

Less coal burned = less gypsumClean air = farmers purchase

sulfurGypsum Transport

Policy and Sulfur – Unintended Consequences

Sulfur is an essential ingredient for creating proteins, so high-protein crops (alfalfa, soybean, corn silage) require more sulfur than low-protein producing crops.

Drywall Gypsum – Faster Acting Gypsum is 2 molecules of

crystalline (dry) water & 1 of calcium sulfate

Converted to plaster of paris by grinding and heating to remove 75% of its water 

Plaster is rehydrated to slurry

Air entrained - 50% air Corn starch “glue” to paper

Heavy Metals? 17 Years of History Exceeds Clean Fill Requirements

Damp Ag Gypsum19% Calcium

14% Sulfate

0.4% Mag

0.01% Boron

15-19% Moisture

Particle size 5/8” minus

Gypsum Application Challenges

Sticky or DustyFlowabilityTransportationStockpilingEquipment

Gypsum Spreading

Pull Type Lime and Litter Spreader

Pequea SP 550

Load CellsLarge Working WidthFloatation Tires Less Compaction

Custom Spreading

GPS Field Application Mapping

Precise Mapping For Even Spread

Automatic Shut Off for a Preset Percentage of Overlap

Record Boundary For Prescription

Speed and Working Time

Variable Rate Control

Test plot with different rates

Load cells allow controller to adjust web flow for speed variations

Pre-start function allows web to feed material to spinners until speed obtained

Great record for Harvest information

Layered Data

Test plot with variable gypsum rate and harvest data on top

Harvest Mapping

The most important information is your harvest data. It will show how your crop performed. Allowing you to concentrate on problem areas and justify your investments.

Field Harvest Data with two similar field elevations and soil variables.

16 Bushel Difference?Why?

Highest yielding green areas – 38 Bushels per Acre Difference.

Soil Sampling Grids

Each grid is a separately bagged and tested

Calcium lbs. Per Acre – Optimum 2,000 to 5,000Soil Tests taken on

Nov. 21, 2015

Fields 12-13 No GypsumAverage – 4,581

Lowest – 4,255Highest – 5,302

Fields 17-18DAverage – 2,365

Lowest – 1,781Highest – 2,604

Soil Tests taken on Jan. 4, 2017

Fields 12-13 No Gypsum

Average – 6,290Lowest – 5,118Highest – 7,727

Fields 17-18DAverage – 3,284

Lowest – 2,759Highest – 3,666

Sulfur Parts per Million – Optimum 15 to 25

Soil Tests taken on Nov. 21, 2015

Fields 12-13 No GypsumAverage – 14.42

Lowest – 10.70Highest – 16.82

Fields 17-18DAverage – 10.44

Lowest – 8.94Highest – 11.84

Soil Tests taken on Jan. 4, 2017

Fields 12-13 No GypsumAverage – 11.44

Lowest – 6.84Highest – 12.88

Fields 17-18DAverage – 20.99

Lowest – 12.73Highest – 34.2

Yield Results 2016 Corn HarvestFields 12-13 No Gypsum

Average – 137Lowest – 56

Highest – 217$603 Revenue per acre

at $4.40 per bushel

Fields 17-18DAverage – 153Lowest – 71

Highest – 255$673 Revenue per acre

at $4.40 per bushel

It does not take much to pull your Yield Average down!

When all Nutrients are atOptimum Levels…Crops Yield More

Crops Handle Growing Season Stress Better

Test for MicronutrientsOnly test for those you will manage.

For Corn-SulfurZincBoron

For Soybeans-• Sulfur• Zinc• Boron• Mangane

se

Grid Soil SamplingandZone Soil Sampling

WHY?A whole field soil sample only gives

you a general idea about that field

With Grid and Zone Sampling

More Samples = More IndicatorsDiscover Hidden Areas in the Field

Low Soil pHHigh PhosphorusLow Potassium

Grid Soil Sampling Map

New Technology!

Arriving to the area this year

Aerial Imagery from an Airplane 1 photo covers 1 sq. mile 3 images acquired Advanced Digital Vegetation

Index Visual Image – 12 inch

resolution Thermal Image – detects

temperature variations to 3/100th of a degree Celsius

Advanced VegetationIndex

Uses Full Spectrum Color from near Infrared band through Ultraviolet band

12 inch Resolution

Thermal Imagery reads relative plant temperature

Plants under stress appear as warmer, like having a “fever”

This Technology Will Detect Developing Crop Problems Several Weeks in Advance

Insects

Disease

Weed Pressure

What This Technology Delivers to You…

Early Crop Stress Warning

Plant Growth and Health Indications

More Time for Action

The Ability for Prescription Spraying

Thermal Visual ADVI

Image acquired on 6-13-2016 at 9:36 AM

Thermal Visual ADVI

Image acquired on 6-27-2016 at 8:57 AM

Thermal Visual ADVI

Image acquired on 7-15-2016 at 10:03 AM

Aerial Images acquired every 2 weeksduring the growing season

Images delivered within 24 hours after acquisition

10 flights or 5 flights throughout the growing season

Cost per Acre – Less than a Custom Applied Fungicide Application

Attention to DetailShows in the Yield!

Thank You!