Ag Leader Crop Sensors

Ag Leader Crop Sensors

• May 2008 announced worldwide distribution of Holland Scientific (HS) crop sensor

Holland Scientific

Crop Sensor• Commercializing HS crop sensor for world wide production ag market

• HS handles sales and support of research market

Sensor measures reflectance of 3 light wavebands

-Red Edge – correlates to chlorophyll content

-Red – not used presently

-Near Infrared (NIR) – correlates to plant size

Use NDRE for vegetative index

• Vary N rate on the go by sensing crop’s need for N. • Use crop sensor maps to identify areas of poor crop

health to help make follow up scouting and application decisions

Uses of crop sensors

• Potentially vary rate of any agrochemical whose recommended rate changes with crop size or vigor

2008 field testing

2008 field testing

Crop sensor passes made $120/ac more than 50 lb/ac flat rate passes

2008 field testing

Crop sensor passes made $15/ac more than 50 lb/ac flat rate passes

2008 field testing

• $.60 per lb N and $4 per bushel corn• Crop sensor rate and farmer’s flat rate alternated across

entire field• Iowa

– Field 1 - $41.00/ac more than flat rate– Field 2 - $24.00/ac more than flat rate– Field 3 - $100.00/ac more than flat rate

• Missouri– Field 1 - $75.00/ac more than flat rate– Field 2 - $120.00/ac more than flat rate– Field 3 - $15.00/ac more than flat rate

Crop sensor vs flat N rate - 2008

• Using Insight to run crop sensor• Testing variable rate application of N in corn on 11

machines– IA, IL, IN, MI, KS, MO, LA – 6 tractor/toolbar machines– 5 self propelled machines

2009 Field testing

• 4 machines collecting crop sensor maps while they spray

System diagram

• Early 2010 – Start selling crop sensors

– User interface through Insight display– Prescribe N rate on-the-go while side dressing corn– Mount sensors on post application sprayer to map crop sensor

readings to identify poor crop health areas

• Europe and North American wheat market– Field test variable rate N application

2010

List Pricing• $3000 per sensor• $1500 per master module (1 per system)• Recommend 5 sensors for 80 foot or wider boom• Recommend 3 sensors for less than 80 foot swaths

Other comments

• Do different hybrids affect crop sensor?– Answer: Some, but not enough to be concerned.

Final thoughts

• Uniform N rates on variable fields “leaves lots of money on the table.”

• Corn farmers generally don’t trust the sensor. – Must prove sensors are better than farmers current N program– 2 years of good results before they start to trust it

• Corn farmers perception of sensors after first use– It puts more on shorter corn and less on taller corn– Rate variation seems logical, but they don’t really know if sensor prescribed

the right amount– Proof is in the yield and financial return per acre

Final thoughts

• How accurately does the crop sensor need to prescribe N to corn for it to be more profitable than farmers uniform rate?– Answer (Ag Leader’s opinion): within 20-25 lbs/ac of economic optimum N

rate