PHOTO: ANN VERMEERSCH


PHOTO: WOODRILL FARMS PHOTO: ANN VERMEERSCH


VARIABLE RATE APPLICATION ▶▶▶


Making the introduction of variable rate pay


BY MATT MCINTOSH T


o most farmers, the adoption of preci- sion farming strategies relies on a rather dogged question – does it pay? In many cases the answer remains elu-


sive. This reality has been cited as a major factor in the slower-than-hoped precision tech adop- tion rates among farmers worldwide. When it comes to variable rate technology, however, some farmers in Ontario, Canada, definitely have found significant, well-identified value. Coming largely in the form of input-cost sav- ings, they say higher profitability is very possi- ble – if one takes time to do the math.


Record keeping essential Chris Boersma, a precision agriculture specialist and grain, pea, and white beet farmer from Southwestern Ontario, says proper documenta- tion is critical in determining whether a preci- sion technology is providing a good return. This can be done either manually or through a data management programme, though mod- ern tech has made record keeping and availa- bility much easier. “The equipment doesn’t give you the refund. It’s the work you put behind it”, says Mr Boersma. “It’s really more of a system… everything adds up. You have to do the analyt- ics behind it to make it pay.” Years of record keeping have proven vital in determining the effectiveness of, for example, variable rate ni- trogen applications. By documenting applied nitrogen specific to individual coordinates within a field, and overlaying that data with harvest maps – as well as running non- variable rate test strips for comparison – Mr Boersma says they can reverse calculate what rates work best, and where their savings are. He adds good records can’t be generated in a single year. Developing good data and deriving useful information from it, is a multi-year pro- cess. “If you fill everything in, do it all, you have all your records in one place where they’re easy to access”, says Mr Boersma. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s on a phone, or iPad, wherever, but


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Good record keeping, and knowledge of growing condition differences, make precision application pay for grain farmers in Ontario, Canada. We asked three farms how they approach this technology in practice to earn back their investments.


you can go back to the field, see where a cer- tain variety or application is. That is invaluable.”


Knowledge of varying growing conditions Like Mr Boersma, agronomist and cash crop farmer Ann Vermeersch says determining the profitability of variable rate starts with calcu- lating the impact of input redistribution. On her and her husband Jeff’s farm in Southern Ontario, variable rate lime application has proven particularly cost-effective for the past seven years. Because of differing growing con- ditions – which she describes as “highly varia- ble” in terms of soil type, drainage, elevation, and so on – Ms Vermeersch says uniform lime prescriptions are rarely appropriate. Combined with the high volumes and costly nature of the input, she says the savings are both clear and consistent. Similar benefits have been found with variable rate potassium and phospho- rous. They also began using the technology in


soybean planting three years ago. Reducing the number of soybeans planted in good areas of the field – soybeans fill out well, making seed density less of a concern – has brought both a reduction in white mould issues and savings of $ 10 to $ 15 per acre in seed costs. Ms Vermeersch does think it’s less likely varia- ble rate would pay in more uniform field con- ditions. In her highly varying circumstances, however, it’s proven to be a very useful tool.


Supporting profitability with predictive mapping For Dan Breckon, soil type management zone specialist for Woodrill Farms (a full-service crop input supply company, grain elevator, and grain farm in central Ontario) generating value from understanding growing conditions – specifically differences in soil type – can be taken a step further. His company employs predictive mapping technologies (GIS, spatial, and statistical mapping) to generate


Ann Vermeersch: “We live in a world of im- agery. I’m still trying to make imagery work.”


▶ FUTURE FARMING | 22 February 2019


Woodrill Farms performs soil probe tests to measure soil characteristics through multiple layers.


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