Data Drives Smarter Decisions

By Karen McMahon
Progressive Farmer Contributor

Technology and agriculture go together like soil and seed. Farmers have always counted on advances in science and machines to help them drive productivity to the next level. With the world adding another 2 billion people by 2050, the reliance on technology to ramp up food production and do it using highly sustainable practices has never been greater.

Today's ag technology buzz is centered around methods to collect, transfer and analyze reams of weather, farm and field information. Commonly called Big Data, farmers will use these myriad layers of information to write a prescription for every field. The data will be loaded into the computerized systems that operate planters, applicators, irrigation rigs, for example, to precisely apply the type and amount of inputs across a field. The ultimate goal is to maximize the productivity of every acre in every field, while optimizing the use of inputs and natural resources.

The potential payoff is huge. Precision ag technology is expected to contribute 30% of crop production growth required to feed the world by 2050, explains John Fulton, Auburn University Extension Biosystems engineer.

GROWERS ADOPT DECISION AG

Chad Groenhagen, Oregon, Ill., and Doug Hoffman, Clarence, Iowa, are already seeing a payoff using precision technology and Big Data on their operations.

Groenhagen joined his family's Circle-G Farms six years ago after college and now handles many of the precision technology duties. The farm is run by six family members and includes 6,000 acres, most planted to corn, and a 6,000-head cattle-feeding operation.

The farm has used variable-rate seeding (VRS) for several years with plans developed by Groenhagen and an agronomist. They use John Deere equipment and JDLink, the company's telematics system that remotely connects farmers to their equipment. Last year, they signed up for DuPont Pioneer's Field360 service for more detailed VRS plans. Pioneer and Deere have partnered for data sharing.

"It is necessary for company partnerships as Big Data solutions develop in ag," Fulton explains. "A machinery manufacturer does not have the agronomy expertise. But they are a main driver in data being generated on equipment. They have to partner with companies that have different expertise."

Groenhagen explains the Pioneer program creates management zones based off county soil maps plus yields, soil fertility levels based on soil samples, and soil types. "They made high-resolution seeding maps for us, and there were hundreds of management zones," he says. This year, his corn population rates varied from 32,000 to 38,000 seeds per acre in the zones.

In 2013 using the program, Groenhagen's corn yields averaged 241 bushels per acre, 15 bushels more than their previous high. The goal for this year is 245 bushels per acre.

"This is why we enjoy sharing our data with local agronomists and Encirca," Groenhagen says. Encirca is Pioneer's suite of whole-farm services to help growers make more informed crop-planting decisions. "We [ourselves] don't have the tools to analyze the data to see what is actually paying," he says.

Circle-G Farms operate two John Deere planters that covered 85% of their ground during a rare five-day stretch of dry weather this spring. The large DB90 36-row model variably plants by 12-row modules. The JD 1760 12-row planter is equipped with Precision Planting systems for variable-rate seeding by the row.

NITROGEN DATA

This year, Groenhagen upgraded to Pioneer's new Encirca program. It offered, on a trial basis, a variable-rate nitrogen prescription program. "It can count down like a clock as to how much nitrogen is left in that field," Groenhagen says.

He placed 10% of the farm's corn acres in the nitrogen program, which recommended split applications in the spring, late spring and summer.

Groenhagen also tested different N scenarios including a 32% UAN broadcast preplant/incorporated; a partial rate of 32% UAN on fields receiving manure in the past; partial rate 32% UAN that was later sidedressed with anhydrous; and partial rate and sidedressed at V8 to V10.

Their cattle operation produces enough manure to fertilize about 1,000 acres annually. The Encirca program answered some nagging questions about using manure. "The biggest question is what's left (of organic nitrogen after applying manure)," he says. "This program has reassured us that we have enough manure to get through the year. Because of P and K levels, we won't put manure on the same ground for four years."

Groenhagen is also testing Monsanto's FieldScripts program on some corn acres this year. FieldScripts uses past yield data and soil information to combine with Monsanto's data on hybrids to develop a variable-rate prescription for each field. He used the 12-row planter for VRS by the row and an iPad to control the planting.

DATA FLOW

During harvest, yield data will flow wirelessly from their combines to their iPads and to seed dealers, agronomists and anyone else they want to receive the information. Analysis of the results and future seeding plans begins at harvest.

Groenhagen will also use the harvest data to create yet another variable-rate plan, this one for an application of dry fertilizer following harvest. An agronomist will build variable-rate prescriptions for each field immediately after receiving the yield data. Within two to three hours of combining, the prescription should be loaded into a retailer's equipment and spreading fertilizer on the field.

A chisel plow follows four to five hours after combining.

"For us, it starts with my grandfather, great-uncle and my dad and uncle," Groenhagen explains. "They are very competitive. We look at the previous year and what can we tweak to be a little better every year. Our goal is to continue to do better.

"But the systems need to be sustainable and pay for themselves," he adds. "We feel if they pay by a bushel, that's enough for us."

REAL-TIME DATA AND RESULTS

Doug Hoffman marvels at the changes occurring with precision technology and the movement of data. He joined his father-in-law, Robert Dircks, on the Dircks family farm, located in eastern Iowa. He and Robert manage 4,200 acres of corn, soybeans and seed corn, and an independent 1,000-sow, farrow-to-finish hog operation.

"In 1998 when I came here to farm, we had data but we had to re-enter this data to make it work with other data," he recalls. "In the last five years, we've gotten real-time data. Harvest data is instantly loaded into my computer and wirelessly transferred to my seed dealer, to my iPad and Robert's iPad. Our goal is the sooner we can get the data, the sooner we can make decisions, and the better we can be organized as a business."

The Dircks' farm has used John Deere equipment and JDLink remote monitoring system for many years. Last year, they joined Pioneer's Field360 program and upgraded to the Encirca services this year.

Hoffman tried variable-rate seeding for the first time in 2014 on 300 acres. The Encirca prescription recommended three levels of populations, 32,000, 36,000 and 38,000, and multiple zones within each field. Before the plan was finalized, Hoffman and his father-in-law reviewed it with his Pioneer seed rep and agronomists. They provided input on hybrids, seeding rates and zones before the prescription was finalized. Last year, they planted at 35,000 plants per acre on all their fields.

This spring was different. "As soon as I set the planter down, it started to plant, and the monitor was planting all three 12-row sections at different rates," Hoffman recalls. He still uses a USB card to transfer planting information but hopes this eventually changes to wireless transfer.

VARIABLE RATE

Hoffman also participated in Encirca's variable-rate nitrogen program. "We want to be proper stewards of the land, and research shows nitrogen will leach under certain conditions," he explains. "Now we have technology that helps us bridge that gap.

"Instead of one or two applications, we will be at four applications of nitrogen this year," he adds. "That's a lot of cost to cover (for the applications). But in some cases, we lowered our nitrogen 10 to 20% depending on what the conditions were instead of what we think the crop needs.

"This is our first year, and it's a little scary," he admits. "We had fall and spring applications start from 90 to 110 to 150 units [of nitrogen]. Typically, we've put out about 170 to 180 units in the fall. Preplant was 30 to 45 units. And this morning, we were discussing our sidedress program of 19 to 30 units." A later application closer to tassel also was made.

Manure from the hog operation is applied to about 600 acres using a manure-management plan. This fall, Hoffman plans to improve manure application with a more detailed plan from Encirca to spread manure at different rates over more acres.

HIGH ASPIRATIONS

His goal for corn is 250 bushels per acre. "In the future, with the world's demand for food, if we aren't over 300 bushels by the time I retire, we haven't done our job," he says.

But to keep improving, growers need to share data and allow in-depth analysis. "Sure, I want my data protected, but I'm not threatened by someone else looking at my yield numbers. It is still the farmer who knows his land to maximize yields," Hoffman says.

In the end, Big Data is about making smarter decisions on the farm that will help feed the world.

"We are charged with the necessity to increase production," Auburn's Fulton reports. "Every square foot must grow more using less inputs. The trend is to be better stewards of the land by doing the right thing at the right time in the right place.

"And consumers want to know that their food and fiber are grown in a sustainable way," he says. "They need to have confidence that the farmer is doing things the right way."

Fulton concludes: "We are on a path. I am very encouraged that we are seeing company partnerships form. It is not an overnight process. It is a journey we are on. Each company has to figure out their contribution to data management.

"We will see significant progress in the next five years," he adds. "In 10 years, it is hard to imagine what we will be doing."

BUILDING BRAND COMPATIBILITY

A new industry group called the Open Ag Data Alliance (OADA) recently formed to address data-sharing issues among agricultural companies. Spearheaded by Purdue University, OADA is designed to develop software standards for how data from farmers can be securely shared among companies. Initial members include: AgReliant Genetics, CNH Industrial, The Climate Corporation, GROWMARK, Purdue University's Open Ag Technology Group, Valley Irrigation, Wilbur-Ellis Company and WinField.

WinField's David Gebhardt says OADA is trying to create for agricultural data the same security standards that allow seamless movement of money in the financial sector. If money can be safely and quickly transferred between financial organizations around the world, surely ag companies can follow suit with secured movement of farm data. There are rigorous security standards for how identity is preserved.

A staunch supporter of OADA, CNH Industrial's Dave Larson, vice president ag portfolio strategy, says, "We will adopt a standardization technology so customers may have a mixed fleet. We want to create systems to better enable machines to collect data and utilize and execute the prescription. We are not structuring our systems so we can hold customers' data hostage."

Larson believes the standardization will develop quickly now. "Up until recently, equipment companies had communications with seed, chemical and fertilizer companies, but some other party was the facilitator creating the prescription.

"Now, there are much tighter linkages between seed, chemical and equipment companies themselves," he says. "That will create standardization. You end up with fewer players defining where it is going.

"Our expectations are that over the next two years, this will move very rapidly," Larson relates. "Customers want us to move faster. This has gone from interesting to 'we want it now.'"

(BAS)

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