2. Co-operator yield
data submitted
+
collect other base
data layers to fill gaps
Goals: wireless
data transfer &
analyze data layers
with transparent
mathematics for
teaching farmers
Rx maps:
implemented with
validation built in
& industry
support
Current Project:
This project was funded in part through Growing Forward 2, a federal-
provincial-territorial initiative.
The Agricultural Adaptation Council assists in the delivery of Growing
Forward 2 in Ontario.
3. Requirements
for Sites:
โข ~50 acres
โข Corn, soy, wheat
rotation
โข good drainage
โข average to medium
base levels P & K
โข Manure history is
fine BUT during
project would have
to be monitored
for impacts
โข Farmer had to have
VR equipment for
at least 1 project
operation (seed or
fertilizer )
Goal: site-specific management of
two most expensive inputs:
1. Seed
2. Fertilizer (nitrogen)
Total of 20-25 fields (constant), 3 year study (2015-2017)
4. Base Data Layers
4
Elevation: Topographic Wetness Potential7 Year - Yield Potential Index (YPI)
UAV Natural Colour
Image
July 2016
Electrical
Conductivity
Proxy for Soil
Texture
Highest producing areas
Middle
Lowest producing areas
Baseline Soil Chemistry
Directed 1 ac grid
5. AGRONOMIC VALIDATION?
Action of checking or proving the validity or accuracy of something. A
technique required in controlled trialsโฆ.
7. 2016 โLearning Stampโ Example
7
Prescription Maps
Yield Potential Index
based so farโฆ
As-Applied
Verification of Equipment
Cleaned Yield Data
8. Case Study 1: VR Population
Soybeans
Perth County: Learning Stamps 8yrs yield
8
Year Crop Mean
2007 Soybeans 45.76
2008 Wheat 97.11
2009 Corn 181.17
2010 Edible
Beans
32.03
2011 Wheat 88.90
2012 Corn 191.21
2013 Edible
Beans
49.19
2014 Wheat 81.16
2015 Corn 196.51
9. Soybean Theory
- low zones get high seeding rates
- high zones get low seeding rate (due to
disease pressure)
โข Each grid is planter width of 30ft
โข Stamps 90x90 ft
โข To see response we have extra
low (100k sds/ac) & extra high
(200k sds/ac)
Yield Potential Index
10. 1.99 2.63
4.07 4.67
13.36
0
5
10
15
May June July Aug Total
Precip Monthly
(CoCoRahs CAN-ON-185)
Validation through the
growing seasonโฆ
Acknowledge UAV Partner:
Green NDVI
June 29th 2016
Soybean Population
Count
July 6, 2016
Each point represents a
transect for population counts
11. The value of sufficient replication
in each management zone
HIGH Zone
โ No statistical diff. for yield or economics from 100 to 200k sds/acre
โ Supports theory that lower seeding rates is good assumption,
โ Rx rate of 100k sds/ac was good
MEDIUM Zone
โ No statistical diff. for yield or economics from 100 to 200k sds/acre
โ Medium rate was fine at 150k sds/ac
LOW Zone
โ No statistical difference for yield; tendency for lower yields with
increasing seeding rates.
โ Economics: $97/ac loss from 100 to 200 thousand seeds/ac
โ Rx theory that higher rate in low yielding zone was incorrect
Overall YPI Zone Assessment:
Soybeans in the higher yield mngโt zone actually did yield
higher than the low (+6.6bu/ac) and medium (+4.7bu/ac)
yield mngโt zones
[F-test significant at p= 0.04]
Zone
& Rate
Avg yield
(bu/ac)
Economics*
($/ac)
HIGH
100 64.1 $ 809.67
125 63.3 $ 782.71
200 66.1 $ 779.19
LOW
100 60.2 $ 755.83
175 58.6 $ 690.68
200 57.0 $ 655.55
MED
100 58.4 $ 730.96
150 62.8 $ 762.02
200 62.6 $ 730.94
*Soybean Price: $13.50/bu / Seed Cost $0.57 per 1000 seeds. Return calculated as
(13.5*Yield)-(0.57*Target Seeding Rate in thousands)
12. Case Study 2: VR Population Soybeans
Municipality: City of Ottawa
โข Formerly 1-1 was pasture, lighter soils
โข 305-2 & 305-3 cropped longest, tiled drained
7yrs ago, some compaction
โข 305-7 Long term hay until 5yrs ago
Statistic
(Yield
bu/ac)
2011
Corn
2013
Corn
2014
Soybeans
(Partial)
2015
Corn
(VR-N)
Min 102.11 60 25.07 90.21
Max 238.22 287 61.91 299.73
Mean 177.33 208 46.34 221.48
X-Factor 2.33 4.29 2.47 3.32
13. Peaks / Tops of knolls
Upper Slopes
Lower Slopes
Lowest areas /
Depressions
RTK-GPS
Elevation
Survey
2015
15. 2 repโs in the low yield zone
3 repโs in the medium
2 repโs in the high zone
**lack of 3 repโs in each zone
lowers confidence in statistics
Remember theory:
High corn yielding zones
get low soybean seeding
rates & vice versa
3 yr Corn YPI
2016 Prescription Map
17. Zone Target Yield Return*
High 120 67.7 $ 839.86
High 155 65.6 $ 793.58
High 175 67.3 $ 801.53
Low 120 67.2 $ 838.41
Low 155 68.0 $ 824.34
Low 175 66.8 $ 802.40
Med 120 66.7 $ 815.49
Med 155 67.4 $ 829.73
Med 175 67.6 $ 808.14
*Soybean Price: $13.50/bu .Seed Cost $0.57 per 1000 seeds.
Return calculated as (13.5*Yield)-(0.57*Target Seeding Rate in thousands)
Overall YPI Zone Assessment: Soybean yield and
yield response to seeding rate were similar for all
zones of this field in 2016.
Seeding Rates:
โข Seeding rates of 120, 155 and 175 thousand seeds/ac produced similar soybean
yields within each of the 3 management zones.
โข no economic advantage associated with planting soybeans at a seeding rate that
exceeded 120,000 seeds/acre in 2016 in each of the 3 management zones.
2016 Results
18. Acknowledgements
Ian McDonald (Crop Innovation Specialist)
Ben Rosser (Corn Specialist)
Ken Janovicek (UofG โ Research Assistant)
Thank-you!
nicole.rabe@ontario.ca