There is no more important data in the context of agriculture
Introduction to Harvest Map Data
Before the presence of continuous-weighing combines, the only way to be able to acquire yield data was to go into the field and acquire the data manually on at least one square meter. In addition, the manually acquired data lacks the relevant coordinate, so it was impossible to be able to create an interpolated map of the yield data.
Today, everything has changed, thanks to the ability of harvesters to be able to measure the amount harvested at a given time and place, it allows yield maps to be created; "The Harvest Map Data". In addition, this data source is automatic, without the need for any manual operation and therefore ascertained by human error.
But all that glitters is not gold. That is, the data acquired from the harvesters must be cleaned of outliers, and in addition, certain approaches must be applied in order to create maps. However, not all tractor brands provide these things totally free of charge following the acquisition of the combine, and the farmers often think they can access yield data and then they do not have that information saved.
Understanding Yield Variability
The variability we see in the harvest may be due to a number of factors that may be related to:
human error or action
non-human aspects such as variability in the soil or adverse weather conditions.
Below we show you a precision seeding map of one of our customers.
As you noticed we have two figures:
on the left the seeding prescription map set by us with 3 different dose application zones (266,8, 278,4 and 280.8)
on the right the map of the real-world application of the seeding prescription map
We included this figure to make you understand that if in the same field we will have a yield map with similar spatial variability as the seeding prescription map, obviously the variability is attributable to our prescription and not to differences due to soil. This is of paramount importance because in order to detect soil-related variability, we should uniformly apply the same doses in each.
in the figure below you will find the variability of the yield in the same site and you will easily see that the variability of the yield is attributable to the sowing prescription map. Where a lower dose was provided, there was a greater production quantity.
Precision Agriculture Techniques
Thanks to the combined use of yield data and seed, fertilizer and pesticide applications we can apply precision farming techniques with the sole objectives:
Increase revenue from every single operation
Provide the crop only with the nutrients it actually needs
One of the potential applications of yield data processing is the creation of prescription maps where the dose is determined based on the previously removed crop. That is, we apply an agronomic balance where we calculate the dose to be returned based on what we have removed. This is the simplest way but also the most accurate way from an agronomic, economic and environmental point of view.
Below we show you the map of the fertilizer dose to be applied based on the exported yield, so as to return the dose that we exported with the harvest.
As you have seen, we have to report a quantity of urea that varies from 126 kg/ha to 310 kh/ha based on the amount removed. So in some cases we have savings of even more than 50% in fertilizer allowing for a reduced environmental impact.
In our application you will also find a section relating to the creation of prescription maps using artificial intelligence, which will allow you by answering a series of questions to determine the appropriate dose also considering the yield data of your fields.
Explore our precision agriculture app. Check it out.
Benefits for Crop Management
Combining the use of:
We can have a complete overview of all the agronomic and economic components, which allows the best application of all production inputs.
You may be wondering what the benefits are from using all this data? The benefits are truly many:
Boosted Crop Yields, Precision agriculture helps you understand your fields better, by doing so, you can provide the right amount of input ensuring the optimal growth. Prescription maps tell you exactly where to plant, water, and fertilize. This means healthier plants and higher income.
Cost Savings, Why waste money on seeds, water, and fertilizer for areas that don't need it? Precision agriculture helps you apply resources only where they're needed. This way, you can cut down on unnecessary expenses and increase the ROI (Return On Investment) of the provided input.
Environmental Protection, Precision agriculture reduces the use of chemicals, which means fewer pollutants running off into rivers and streams. By using prescription maps to apply fertilizers and pesticides more accurately, you can be a better steward of the environment.
Time Efficiency, Imagine that you have a farm consisting of 3 far-flung corporate bodies. When preparing to do crop operations, we often don't start with the right amount of fertilizer from the fleet because we can't estimate the total needed amount of fertilizer. With prescription maps we avoid this by planning in advance the dose to be provided. avoids making unnecessary turns.
Data-Driven Decisions, With precision agriculture, you get detailed insights about your fields. This data helps you make smarter decisions, improving your farm’s productivity. Prescription maps are just one way to visualize and act on this valuable information. So, if you're ready to take your farming to the next level, embrace precision agriculture. Your wallet, the environment, and your crops will all be better for it!
Application success case studies
In this post we showed you the use of these technologies at the Fiorentini Guido & Figli farm which made it possible to reduce over 35% of nitrogen fertilizer for the cultivation of durum wheat through the use of our application. Nowadays we are helping numerous farmers, cooperatives and agri-food supply chains to use these technologies.
Explore our application for precision farming app
All the processing shown here comes from our application developed to be simple and easy to use but which is designed for large operations in the field
Explore our precision agriculture app. Check it out.
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