Future challenges + Ag Tech

Requirements

Tillage

Dermot Forristal Teagasc CELUP

Oak Park Crops Research

Challenges in the crops sector

Competition for land Profitability per ha Disease, Pest and Weed control

▶ E.g. loss of fungicide sensitivity / less new products ▶ IPM and cultural control

GHG emissions

Positives ▶ World’s highest yields ▶ Labour efficient

Ag Tech Needs

‘Precise’ Management: measuring + responding to

‘variability’.

Fields: Spatial variability

Machine control

Auto-steer Auto ‘section-control’ Any automated function

More precise management

‘SMART’

Measure

Collect data

Analyse

Decision

Sensors

Data

communications

Research Algorithms Controllers

Mesmerised by Yield Maps !

Huge expectations generated Blinded by ‘possibilities’

10t / ha 10t / ha

7t / ha

14t / ha

Initial Assumption

• All could yield 14t

• At least 10t ?

Not That Simple!

Advances in Precision Ag but!

Variable rate application: Nitrogen

Applying N more accurately

Huge scope as optimum varies hugely: 100 – 300 kg/ha

Cost, quality and environmental consequences !

Crop Reflectance and N

Measure crop biomass and N content – crop reflectance

Reflectance scanner (multi-spec): ▶ Visible and NIR wave bands

Quite a bit of research since the 1970s!!

Farmstar N sensing - France

Yara N Sensor

E bee drone with Sensor

Does crop sensing work for N ?

BUT, Does it work? 1% or 3-4% yield improvement. Algorithms not region specific

▶ Some maximise protein ▶ Some optimise yield

N is Not that simple What comes from the soil ? What is crop yield potential Weather and soil impact on both Need to measure and predict these

What’s needed to improve it: soil sensors, leaching prediction, crop growth models etc all need development

Precision Crop management Crop sensing: • Nutrients • Development • Health / disease • Yield / Quality • Variability

Soil sensing: • Nutrients • Organic Carbon • Structure / texture • Microbiome • Moisture

Environment sensing:

• Microclimate • Weather prediction

Data analytics Crop Models

Decision Support Systems

Supporting Research

Tech transfer support

Precision management response (spatially variable, real time or sequential)

Machine Guidance, Autosteer and Control

Machine Guidance: Steering, Headland systems

97% full header vs 87% Not 10% performance improvement

Does it Pay?

(Getting Farmers to Adopt!)

Auto-steer + Section Control

Sprayer section control (avoids excess overlaps)

Guidance and Section control Benefits: - depends on field 3m saving on headlands: 2.0% saving Saving on short ground: 0.5% No loss on tramlines: 4.0% Total saving 6.5%

Fungicide / Herbicide saving Winter wheat: €16.00 / ha Spring Barley: €8.76 / ha

Guidance and sprayer control costs

Break even areas W. wheat: 128 / 172ha S. barley: 230 / 315ha

Chart1

5050

100100

200200

500500

Cost (€/ha)

Cost with 40% grant

Farmed crop area (ha)

Cost/ha (€)

Cost example: Auto-steer and section control

55.25

40.85

27.625

20.425

13.8125

10.2125

5.525

4.085

Sheet1

SimpleIntermediateSprayerAutosteerBasic AutosteerSprayerBasic AutosteerSprayerSimpleSimpleAutosteer

GuidanceGuidanceSectionRTKGuidanceSection 2GuidanceSection 2GuidanceGuidanceRTK

Once offCost2000400050002500090003000900030002000200025000

Training50050010005005005005001000

Extra time input10001000

Down time10001000

Other support costs

Grant4040404040

Life66888888668

Residual01000100060002500100025001000006000

Depreciation333.33333333335005002375812.5250362.51002002001125

Interest 5%50125150775287.5100197.5703030525

Repairs 5%10020025012504501504501501001001250

Training83.333333333383.3333333333012562.5062.5083.333333333383.3333333333125

Extra time000125000000125

Down time000125000000125

Other support00000000000

License06500100065006500012

Total566.66666666671558.333333333390057752262.55001722.5320413.3333333333414.33333333333277

AREA

5011.333333333331.166666666718115.545.251034.456.48.26666666678.286666666765.54

1005.666666666715.5833333333957.7522.625517.2253.24.13333333334.143333333332.77

2002.83333333337.79166666674.528.87511.31252.58.61251.62.06666666672.071666666716.385

5001.13333333333.11666666671.811.554.52513.4450.640.82666666670.82866666676.554

Benefits

SimpleIntermediateSprayerAutosteerBasic AutosteerSprayerGrantGrant

GuidanceGuidanceSectionRTKGuidanceSection 2GuidanceSection 2

Cap.Cost200040005000250009000300090003000

AREA (ha)Annual cost/ha (€)

501131181164510346

100616958235173

2003852911392

500132125131

Area (ha)Cost (€/ha)Cost with 40% grant

505541

1002820

2001410

50064

Sheet1

Cost (€/ha)

Cost with 40% grant

Crop area (ha)

Cost/ha (€)

Costs: Auto-steer and section control

Sheet2

Sheet3

Machine control (– does it pay?) Control systems on all machines Sprayers Fert spreaders Combines Seeders Slurry / Muck Diet feeders Ploughs Balers / Foragers Tractors Etc, etc

SMART can be simple and free !

Oilseed Rape N management

Oilseed rape: Canopy Management Optimises N – Saves N Optimises canopy size, pod number

and yield.

It Works: Why? Good relationship between

accumulated N and required N Substantial research

programme Simple to operate Free

Farm Management Applications

Farm management applications

Around for decades. SMART phones breathing new life Management; Agronomy; Animal / Herd; Financial Regulatory compliance: Cattle ID; Farm health;

Pesticides etc; Nitrates etc

Getting their hands on the Data!!

Farm data !!!

Data from: ▶ Reflectance sensors: Sattelite, Drone, Tractor mounted ▶ Soil sensors: Electrical conductivity, Tractor draught ▶ Soil Analysis: nutrients, pH, Carbon ▶ Yield mapping combine ▶ Input application: seeder, sprayer, fertiliser, manures ▶ Weather data: field level or region based ▶ Disease data; crop growth etc ▶ Financial data from farm at farm or field level

Who collects, transmits, stores, analyses and uses data?

Lots of players !

Tractor / equipment manufacturers: JD, CLAAS

‘Positioning’ companies: TRIMBLE; TOPCON

Breeders / Chemical companies

Traditional Farm management companies

New Data management Hubs 365FARMNET

Conclusions

Huge potential in crop systems and machines

Concepts are there and good; but delivery challenging

Seek simple opportunities

For the user: the technology must pay.

For the developer: the technology must pay!

Slide Number 1Challenges in the crops sectorAg Tech Needs‘SMART’Mesmerised by Yield Maps !Advances in Precision Ag but!�Variable rate application: NitrogenCrop Reflectance and NFarmstar N sensing - FranceYara N SensorE bee drone with SensorSlide Number 12Slide Number 13Slide Number 14Does crop sensing work for N ?Precision Crop managementSlide Number 17Slide Number 18Slide Number 19Slide Number 20Auto-steer + Section ControlSprayer section control �(avoids excess overlaps)Guidance and Section controlGuidance and sprayer control costsMachine control (– does it pay?)Slide Number 26Oilseed rape: Canopy ManagementSlide Number 28Farm management applicationsSlide Number 30Farm data !!!Lots of players !Conclusions