1. Precision Ag Panel
Crops Day 2015
Jan 13th 2015
Mark Ribey, Biermans Farms Ltd.
Craig Trelford, Trelford Farms
Paul Raymer, Practical Precision Inc.
Participants of the Panel:
3. My Background
Grew up in Bruce Twp on dairy/cash crop farm west of
Paisley
Started working for Biermans through a high school co-
op placement when I was 16
Obtained an Agriculture Diploma from the University of
Guelph, Ridgetown campus in 2009
2011 became a partner in the farm with the owner
Harry Biermans
4. Biermans Background
Located near Dobbinton, ON
5000 ac cash crop
Corn, Wheat, Soybeans (Occasional Oats, Canola)
Custom Spraying
5. Where We Started
1996 yield monitor was purchased with 9500 combine
2003 GPS guidance was installed in sprayer and planting tractor
6. Today
All tractors and combine equipped with GPS capable of
auto steer and mapping
Sprayer equipped with auto steer, auto boom height and
auto boom shutoff
Corn planter equipped with row shut off and variable rate
planting
Implement Guidance
Data management software (Apex)
8. Example
Other than tillage, think about the more expensive tasks..
Spreading Fertilizer
Combining
Planting
Spraying
Manure Application
9. Benefits of GPS
Increased Productivity
Minimizes redundant applications and skipped areas
resulting in maximum ground coverage in the shortest time
Operator Benefits
Less fatigue on long days
Better care and awareness of task at hand
Reduced Input Costs
Seed, fertilizer, chemical, fuel
10. Benefits of GPS
Minimize Environmental Impact
Accurate Yield and Fertility Data
Creates site specific data for more advanced decision
making
12. Our Adventure in Strip-Till
Started strip tilling fall 2012, strips were
accurate on flat fields but issues arose on
side hill operations where the implement
would drag down hill slightly causing
inaccurate row spacing. This became a big
issue for planting on the row the next
spring.
13. Implement Guidance
Protrakker Hydraulic Hitch
Links implement to tractor
Increases accuracy on side hills
Moves 12’’ each way
Strip-Tilling and Planting are both done with Protrakker
14. Mapping Capabilities
Software programs are now capable of
combining yield data, elevation, fertility
and tile maps together for more advanced
and site specific management.
22. Benefits
This information gives us a much more detailed and site
specific understanding of the field
Test plots and different practices can be recognized
easier through field maps
Ability to layer maps to construct variable rate
prescriptions
Historical records of each field
23. Variable Rate Planting
Creating prescriptions that allow us to plant more seeds in the
higher potential soil and less seed in the lower potential soil
We are still aiming for the same average seed population
overall
24. Support
Small Steps at a Time
Start with auto steer and work your way up - big
advancements too quickly will cause confusions and
headaches
Help and Service
Most dealers have a couple technicians specializing in the
GPS equipment
Stick to One Company
Attend Workshops
Network with Fellow Farmers
25. Conclusion
Precision agriculture is allowing farmers to make better
decisions and reduce inputs costs while increasing
efficiencies, productivity and accuracy.
Allows us to be more sensitive to environmental
concerns
28. 2008 - started using a GPS system to provide guidance for spreading
fertilizer and spraying.
2009 installed GPS with autosteer in tractor used to pull air seeder.
2010 purchased self propelled sprayer equipped with autosteer and swath
control.
2012 upgraded to a 16 row corn planter with individual row control.
29. Next Steps
Yield mapping fields while combining
Grid soil sampling fields for fertility requirements
30. Planting Savings with Section Control
Example : 1000 acres of corn with Swath Pro
Reduces acres planted by 4%
Savings: Seed corn costs $100/acre
therefore 4% X 100 = $4/acre saved
$4 X 1000 acres = $4000 total saved
Additional Savings: Yield Reduction From
Double Planting
- 12% yield loss on the 4% area over planted
(Average field yield of 165bu)
- 1000acres X 4% = 40acres
- 12% X 165bu=19.8bu
- 19.8bu X 40acres= 792bu
($5/bu) 5X 792bu $3960 in prevented yield loss
32. Spraying Savings with Section
Control
Example: 10 000 acres sprayed/year
Average product cost of $25/acre
Reduce overlap by 4% =400 acres
400acres X $25/acre = $10 000
Total Savings = $10 000/year
53. Plant Available Water
“Make Data Pay:
Use Data to
Manage Zones”
“Differences in soil
moisture-holding
capacity explain
much of the yield
variability”
Corn + Soybean Digest
December 26, 2013
