MANAGING YIELD POTENTIAL ▶▶▶
worked like a dream with the Integra display I was using at that time.”
11,8% saved on seed costs “In 2015 I purchased the 12-row DBX planter for planting the maize. It is kitted for variable rate fertiliser and seeding and has clutches for section control. In 2015 I also started doing more data analyses and even further refined the management zones. The ability to use soil type maps, yield maps and soil sampling da- tasets showed even more improvement in ef- fective fertiliser use and better yields and har- vesting more kg grain per mm rain, and better quality grain too! The section control clutches on the planter saved me 11,8% on seed costs, due to the fact that I have very odd shaped fields and contours. The big advantage of the data from the monitoring is that it is real-time accurate data that is displayed in a very ‘read- able’ manner on the displays. Being able to check singulation and spacing etc. on the fly and adjust vacuum pressure or planting speed for current conditions or kernel size makes it very easy to make sure planting is going 100%.” All the data is logged at planting with the displays, currently two InCommand 1200’s; this is very important to me for analysis in SMS Advanced. I have created multiple Com- parison and Correlation analyses, which by the way is one of the most valued features for me in SMS Advanced. It tells me a lot about my planter’s performance, such as the speed in certain soil types at which I am getting the best singulation, or how singulation reacts to different speeds.”
Ag Leader GeoSteer “I’m running Ag Leader GeoSteer on an RTK correction for steering, with a base station
Case IH 6130 Axial flow combine with Geringhoff maize head.
situated at home, which has never had any down time. I apply liquid fertiliser at variable rate from the prescriptions that I have made. All the weed and pest control is done with my Hardi Ranger sprayer. It works like a dream with the swath control and rate con- trol. I run an Integra display on the John Deere 6920. The nice thing about that is that I do a complete spray programme setup with rates and everything needed for record keep- ing and it gives me application reports after each spraying event. The data is also import- ed into my SMS Advanced software for records and analysis.” “Top dressing granular fertiliser, mainly nitro- gen, is still done on prescription but with the added use of ndvi maps and images collected from my drone. The ability to do prescription scaling in the field on the InCommand 1200 makes it even easier to do an on-the-spot ad- justment without having to go back to the of- fice computer. My spreader is an ISObus spreader which eliminated the need for an- other screen in the cab. The InCommand 1200 also controls the rate as well as the section control. I can spread up to 48m in 2 metre sec- tions, which also saves a lot on the odd shaped fields.”
Example of an analysis, this one showing yields attained on different soil types in a specific field.
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Combine with yield monitor kit “For harvesting I’m using a Case IH 6130 combine with an Ag Leader yield monitor kit. It’s deadly accurate. When harvesting trials
▶ FUTURE FARMING | 1 November 2018
with weigh wagons, the combine is always within 1 to 3%. At the end of the season the recorded total this year was 1.2% below actual for maize. The use of mobile data trans- fer is also very handy. When the combine stops in the evening, data is seamlessly trans- ferred to my Agfiniti cloud, ready for dissect- ing in the office.” “I use SMS Advanced software on my desktop for the data management. I spend a whole lot of time in the office comparing and analysing data. Multiyear yield analysis coupled with soil type and chemical maps and any data logged is easy to use to create management zones, this is updated yearly. Importing lab results and creating prescriptions is really easy to do.”
The right hybrid for the right soil “I have recently started doing comparisons of yields by soil type and yields per cultivar by soil type. That is very valuable in selecting the right hybrid for the right soil and is definitely going to improve yields. Checking yield vs sin- gulation on fixed ear and flex ear hybrids, checking yield v planting speed, yield v prod- uct rates applied etc. helps in our aim for that next 5% yield increase.” “The application of precision farming in my op- eration has improved yields a lot, even as high as 15t/ha on some of the ‘Class 1’ management zone soils, which I don’t think would have been possible with conventional methods.”
PHOTO: DANIE BESTER
PHOTO: DANIE BESTER
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