High-Tech Conservation

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:03:33 GMT

Digital tools save water, soil and more

For producers who want higher yields, there’s an app for that—or a hundred. Yet when farmers want to deploy high-tech conservation practices on their operations, the options are thinner.

Still, several digital resources are at your disposal. One is Agren’s SoilCalculator, which estimates erosion and economic effects.

It combines color-coded aerial maps of erosion, conservation practices and crop rotations. That lets farmers look at predictive erosion maps so they can see what different management practices do.

“Growers can easily evaluate alternatives side by side to maximize profits, conserve soil, preserve yields and reduce nutrient inputs,” says Agren CEO Tom Buman.

High-tech conservation tools will be useful as demand for better water quality and greater environmental stewardship increases, says Mark Stutsman, chief operating officer of Eldon C. Stutsman, a supplier of agricultural products for retail and wholesale markets in Hills, Iowa.

“It is another layer of value we can add to the grower,” Stutsman says. “It shows our community, our friends and our neighbors that we are paying attention and doing the very best we can.”

Nebraska producer Roric Paulman likes tuning into weather apps, which help him make certain on-the-go decisions a bit easier. Yet for irrigation timing decisions, that’s not enough. So Paulman, a 2015 Top Producer of the Year finalist who farms in Sutherland, turned to evapotranspiration sensors placed directly in his fields.

“We each have a responsibility to these resources, whether it’s water or soil or air,” Paulman points out. “If you start now, there are some behavior-changing opportunities that can help you both environmentally and financially.”

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Conservation Practices Vary By Crop Type

Implementation of conservation practices varies from farm to farm based in part on the crops producers grow, according to a 2015 report from USDA’s Economic Research Service. A total of 44% of farmers use no-till or strip-till on a total of 39% of all U.S. corn, soybean, wheat and cotton acres, USDA notes. Yet broken out by individual crop, some significant differences appear in no-till and strip-till application:

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Split application of nitrogen, intended to give crops nutrients right after planting for maximum uptake, varies quite a bit by crop, too. Corn farmers apply just 22% of nitrogen after planting, for example, whereas cotton producers apply 59% of nitrogen after planting.

To view USDA’s full report, visit http://1.usa.gov/1KaeojN.

Where Sustainability and Technology Collide

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:04:15 GMT

Field to Market recently announced it is now able to integrate sustainability metrics and algorithms of its Fieldprint Platform with several leading precision ag and farm management software programs. This will allow better, faster data transfer and increased engagement of productive acres of commodity crop production in its Supply Chain Sustainability Program – one of several moves the group hopes will help meet its ambitious goal of 50 million participating acres by 2020.

This integration is possible through an application programming interface (API) that connects seven sustainability metrics and their associated algorithms with three precision ag and farm management software programs. Specifically, the Fieldprint Platform’s sustainability metrics can now easily connect with:

Land.db – a farm management system from Ag Connections, LLC (a wholly owned subsidiary of Syngenta)
Morning Farm Report – a set of predictive analytics tools from Agrible that includes a new Sustainable Sourcing Yield program
Precision Conservation Management Portal – an effort between Heartland Science and Technology Group and the Illinois Corn Growers Association intended to increase conservation practices

“We’re really looking for significant growth, and this technology integration is a key strategy to meeting that goal,” according to Rod Snyder, Field to Market president. “This API allows users to enter very little additional information than what they have already collected.”

The Fieldprint Platform allows users to benchmark performance in multiple areas such as irrigation water use and soil conservation. Having a common framework allows them to compare that performance against national, state or regional benchmarks. Snyder says the Fieldprint analysis adds one more layer of insights as farmers dig through their valuable field and yield data.

“Farmers can simultaneously evaluate productivity, profitability and sustainability options as part of their planning process,” he says.

And while Snyder admits 50 million acres is an ambitious goal, he’s already seen participation skyrocket from 18 participating supply chain partnerships, or what Field to Market refers to as Fieldprint Projects, in 2014 to more than 60 now.

“The private sector is playing a leadership role in a way we’ve never seen before,” he says. “Companies are recognizing that consumers want more transparency about how their food is grown and sourced. The food and beverage industry already have a lot of environmental goals that aren’t even tied to governmental regulations. There’s more involvement than ever.”

Snyder says Field to Market is working towards integration with additional precision ag, farm management and decision support software providers.

Farmers can access this free, confidential tool through Field to Market’s online Fieldprint Calculator or through its current farm-management software partners. For more information, visit www.fieldtomarket.org .

Yield Data

High-Tech Conservation

Digital tools save water, soil and more

Conservation Practices Vary By Crop Type

Where Sustainability and Technology Collide