Precision Ag in Practice: Mike Smith | Letting data do the work

Summary

Mike Smith discusses the use of precision agriculture on his family farm in New South Wales. With a decade of yield monitor data, he employs statistical programs to cluster zones and apply variable rate technology for targeted fertilization. This approach not only optimizes crop yield but also reduces costs by $21,000, emphasizing the importance of accurate yield data and the potential of precision farming to improve both productivity and sustainability.

Takeaways

• 🗺️ The script discusses a method of analyzing farm data using a map based on years of gathered data to identify similar zones within a field.
• 📈 A stats program is used to cluster data into zones, which can help in understanding variations in yield and protein levels across different areas of a farm.
• 🏡 The farm discussed is a family-owned property in northern New South Wales, Australia, with a history dating back to 1913.
• 📊 The use of a yield monitor since 1996 has allowed the farm to quantify yield variations, which can be as high as 30%.
• 🌾 Precision agriculture technologies, such as variable rate technology, are used to apply different amounts of inputs like nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) based on the needs of each zone.
• 🔍 A protein sensor on the header helps gather protein data, which is used to calculate the balance of nutrients applied and removed with the crop.
• 💰 The farm has realized significant cost savings by using variable rate application, amounting to about $21,000, which is crucial as fertilizer prices rise.
• 📊 The script emphasizes the importance of accurate yield data for both financial compensation and making informed decisions about nutrient application.
• ⚖️ The farm applies an average of 221 kilos of fertilizer across the field, with variable rates ranging from 159 to 315 kilos depending on the zone's needs.
• 📝 Mike Smith, an early adopter of these technologies, advises other growers to not overcomplicate things and to focus on getting accurate yield data.
• 🌱 The approach is seen as an opportunity to better care for the land, maintain nutrient rates efficiently, and avoid wasting resources on less productive areas.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the map mentioned in the transcript?

The map is created based on a significant amount of data gathered over ten years to analyze and visualize the yield and protein data of a farm, aiding in precision agriculture.

What does the term 'cluster or build zones' refer to in the context of the transcript?

It refers to the process of dividing a farmland into different zones with similar characteristics using statistical analysis to optimize farming practices.

How long has Mike Smith been using yield monitors on his farm?

Mike Smith started using yield monitors in 1996, which means he has been using them for approximately 28 years by the time of the transcript.

What is the observed yield variability from the header mentioned by Mike Smith?

Mike Smith observed a yield variability of about 30 percent from the header.

What does precision agriculture mean in the context of the transcript?

Precision agriculture refers to the use of technology to apply variable rate inputs such as fertilizers based on the specific needs of different zones within a field.

What additional sensor does Mike Smith have on his header besides the yield monitor?

Mike Smith also has a protein sensor on his header to gather protein data.

How does Mike Smith use the stats program to analyze the farm data?

Mike Smith uses the stats program to calculate average yield and protein levels for different zones, which helps in understanding the nutrient uptake and application efficiency.

What is the significance of the nitrogen and phosphorus balance mentioned by Mike Smith?

The balance of nitrogen and phosphorus is important for understanding the nutrient inputs required for crops and ensuring that resources are not wasted on less productive areas.

What is the average amount of nitrogen applied across the paddock as per Mike Smith's data?

The average amount of nitrogen applied across the paddock is 221 kilos.

What is the potential savings Mike Smith mentions by using variable rate technology?

Mike Smith mentions potential savings of about $21,000 by using variable rate technology for different areas of the farm.

What advice does Mike Smith give to other growers considering precision agriculture?

Mike Smith advises not to overcomplicate things, to pay attention to yield data, and to calibrate the yield monitor at the beginning or end of the season to maintain accurate data.

How does Mike Smith view the opportunity of precision agriculture?

Mike Smith sees precision agriculture as an opportunity to better care for the land, maintain nutrient rates efficiently, and avoid wasting resources on less productive areas.

Outlines

00:00

📊 Precision Agriculture and Yield Monitoring

Mike Smith discusses the use of a map created from ten years of data to analyze farmland in northern New South Wales. The map is generated using statistical software to cluster similar zones within the farm. The farm has been utilizing yield monitors since 1996 to quantify yield variability, which can reach up to 30%. Precision agriculture techniques, including variable rate technology and protein sensors, are employed to optimize nutrient application. The data collected helps in understanding the balance of nutrients put into the soil versus what is taken out with the crop, leading to cost savings. The farm has seen savings of around $21,000 by applying variable rates of nitrogen across different areas of the field. As fertilizer prices rise, the economic benefits of precision farming become more significant.

Keywords

💡Map

A map in this context refers to a visual representation of the farm data collected over several years. It organizes various zones based on yield, protein content, and other factors, helping farmers make informed decisions about managing their land. In the video, the speaker explains how the data collected over 10 to 15 years is condensed into this map for analysis.

💡Data

Data here refers to the agricultural information collected over a span of 10 to 15 years, including yield and protein levels. This data is crucial for understanding variations in the field and helps create a map that highlights different zones for precision farming. The video emphasizes how gathering and analyzing long-term data enables more efficient farm management.

💡Stats Program

The stats program is a software tool used to analyze the farm data collected over the years. It clusters the data into zones that are similar based on various factors such as yield and protein levels. The program simplifies complex data into actionable insights, allowing the farmer to make more precise decisions about managing the paddock.

💡Cluster

Clustering in this context refers to grouping different areas of the paddock into zones that have similar characteristics, such as soil quality or crop yield. The stats program performs this clustering, helping farmers identify regions that require different levels of resources, such as fertilizer. This concept is key to precision agriculture, as it allows for targeted interventions.

💡Yield Monitor

The yield monitor is a tool that measures crop yield in real-time as the farmer operates machinery, such as a header, across the paddock. Introduced on the farm in 1996, the yield monitor allows the farmer to quantify variability in crop output across the field. In the video, the farmer mentions using this tool to better understand the 30% variation in yield across the paddock.

💡Precision Agriculture

Precision agriculture is the practice of using technology and data to manage farmland more efficiently by applying inputs like fertilizer or water only where needed. In the video, the farmer explains how data collected from yield monitors and protein sensors can be used to create maps and manage zones with different characteristics, optimizing resource use and improving crop output.

💡Protein Sensor

A protein sensor is a tool used on the farm to measure the protein content of crops during harvest. This data helps the farmer understand the nutritional quality of the crops and make decisions about how much nitrogen (N) or other nutrients to apply in different areas of the paddock. The video describes how protein data, combined with yield data, is used to optimize fertilization strategies.

💡Variable Rate Technology

Variable rate technology (VRT) refers to the use of technology to apply inputs such as fertilizers at different rates across a field, based on the specific needs of each zone. In the video, the farmer explains how using VRT saved them $21,000 by adjusting the amount of fertilizer applied in different areas of the paddock, depending on the yield potential and other factors.

💡Zones

Zones refer to the different areas within the paddock that have been identified as having similar characteristics based on the data collected. These zones may differ in yield, protein content, or nutrient needs, allowing the farmer to apply resources more efficiently. The video explains how the stats program creates these zones, helping the farmer target inputs like fertilizer more precisely.

💡Nitrogen (N)

Nitrogen (N) is a critical nutrient for plant growth and is often applied as fertilizer to boost crop yields. In the video, the farmer talks about tracking nitrogen application across different zones of the paddock, calculating how much nitrogen is taken out by the crop, and using that data to balance nutrient levels. Efficient use of nitrogen is an essential part of precision agriculture, as it helps avoid over-fertilizing less productive areas.

Highlights

A map based on ten years of data is used to gather data back to a single point for analysis.

A stats program is utilized to cluster and build zones within a paddock based on similarity.

The map creation process is not a new concept but has become more familiar in modern farming.

The farm has been using yield monitor technology since 1996.

Variability in yield can be as much as 30 percent.

Yield monitor technology allows for the measurement and quantification of yield across a paddock.

Variable rate technology is used under the precision agriculture umbrella.

A protein sensor on the header gathers protein data.

The stats program provides average yield and protein data for different zones.

Nutrient balance and costing are considered to cover nitrogen and phosphorus inputs for crops.

Variable rate application results in savings of about $21,000.

As fertilizer prices rise, variable rate technology becomes more interesting.

Mike Smith suggests not to overcomplicate things and to focus on yield data.

Calibration of yield monitors should be done at the beginning or end of the season.

Yield data is crucial as it directly relates to payment.

Precision agriculture is seen as an opportunity to better maintain nutrient rates and avoid waste.

Measuring and targeting nutrient application is sensible and beneficial.

Transcripts

What we've got here is a map

that is based on a whole lot of data

that we've gathered over a number of

years.

You have got ten years worth of

data. You want to get that data back

to a single point, and then

we drop it into a stats program,

and so we've used the stats program

then do what they call cluster or

build zones and it just says,

well I want to find five

zones or four zones in this paddock

that are similar.

And it just looks at all the data,

whether it's ten years, 15 years

worth of data and it'll

give you this map.

It's not the new face of farming,

but these days it is a more

familiar one.

Mike Smith.

We're on a farm where 50km

south east of Moree, in northern New

South Wales.

It's a family farm, my grandfather

bought this place in 1913.

We started with the yield monitor in

1996, so

we've been doing it for a while.

I'd spent time as most of the young

blokes when they come home they want

to drive the header, so I was on the

header and yeah you're just looking

at the variation in yield.

Well, when you could see the

variability in the yield from the

header, it's probably about a 30 per

cent variation.

So when I read about yield monitor

I thought well that'd be really cool

if we could actually measure it and

quantify it across the paddock.

That quantifying happens via

various forms of variable rate

technology, which falls under

the umbrella of precision

agriculture.

We also have a protein sensor on the

header, so we have gathered

protein data.

So what I've asked the stats program

to do is give me the

average yield for particular

zones, you can see the colours of

the areas for those zones

and the protein.

We can work out how much N we've put

on, so we know how much we've taken

out with the crop. We look at the

end balance and we've got a costing

here to cover the N and

the P that was put on for the crop.

So when we go through how that

translates into the costs is

we spread an average of 221

kilos across that paddock.

So the top rate was 315

kilos, the bottom rate was 159.

Had we thought, well, we really

need to target our top yield

or area, and we spent 315

across the whole lot, our savings

with variable rate for the different

areas work out at those so it

tallies up to about $21,000.

As these fertiliser prices are

getting higher it's um,

I guess their variable rate is starting

to be pretty interesting for

everyone.

So what tips does early adopter

Mike Smith have for other growers?

Don't over complicate things, I

think. Pay attention to getting

yield data, don't be absolutely hell

bent on having the yield

monitor dead accurate.

If you're going to calibrate either

calibrate right at the very

beginning or at the end,

don't play with through the season,

because as soon as you start

calibrating through the season, what

happens is you're going to shift

all your yield data.

The yield data is very important

because ultimately that's what you

get paid for so you want to know

what's going on.

I guess it's just trying to do it

better. If we've got the

information, well, why not

target it, right?

I look at it as an opportunity to

say, push our country

better look after it better, try and

maintain our

nutrient rates and we're not wasting

it on the the poorer areas.

So just makes sense to be

able to try and do it if we can

measure it, why not do it?