Growers are facing increased input costs

Growers are facing increased input costs

• Growers are facing increased input costs

• nitrogen, fuel

• Labor is becoming harder to find

• Allows farms to reduce labor needs

• Environmentally friendly

• Putting inputs precisely where they are needed

• Generate farm specific data to increase profits

Yield Monitoring

• Yield Monitoring

• Variable Rate Application

• Fertilizer, plant growth regulators, defoliant

• Sensor Technology

• Remote Sensing

• Guidance

• Boom control

Sensors on combine or cotton picker determine yield, typically at 1 second intervals

• Sensors on combine or cotton picker determine yield, typically at 1 second intervals

• Controller connects GPS data to sensor data allowing for creation of yield map

• Typically use 1m accuracy GPS

• Cotton pickers use light emitters (Ag Leader) or microwave technology (John Deere)

• Yield monitors are report cards for farmers

Technology exists to variable rate apply most crop inputs:

• Technology exists to variable rate apply most crop inputs:

• Fertilizer, seed, insecticide, plant growth regulators, defoliant

• Fertilizer is probably most frequently applied on a variable rate basis

Greenseeker is a commercially available product that measures NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetative Index), which basically indicates how green the crop is

• Greenseeker is a commercially available product that measures NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetative Index), which basically indicates how green the crop is

• Why is this important?

• Indicator of plant health and growth

• What can we use this for?

• Nitrogen application was original purpose

Commercial providers of aerial based NDVI and thermal imagery

• Commercial providers of aerial based NDVI and thermal imagery

• In Alabama, primarily for cotton management

• Plant growth regulators and defoliant

3 levels of guidance products

• 3 levels of guidance products

• Light bar/LCD screen guidance
• Assisted steer
• RTK

Light bar/LCD screen guidance

• Light bar/LCD screen guidance

• 12” pass-to-pass
• Burndown of cover crops
• Pastures
• Golf course/sod
• Cost: $1895 - $5000

Assisted steer

• Assisted steer

• 4-12” pass-to-pass
• StarFire 2, OmniStar
• Spray applications
• Planting
• Some products simply attach to steering column
• Accuracy, but not repeatability
• $2000 (as an add-on to light bar) and up

RTK

• RTK

• Base station
• CORS
• Controlled traffic pattern
• Controlled tillage
• Precise input application

RTK Costs

• RTK Costs

• CORS Station: approx. $24,000
• $22,000 for third party auto-guidance setup
• $12,000 for third-party base station
• Base station range is approx. 6 miles line of sight
• Line of sight seems to be challenge here (vs. Midwest or MS Delta)
• Many farms are spread over large geographic area, would require multiple base stations
• Multiple base stations or moving a base station, which would require additional labor.

Sprayer booms are typically 60 or 90 ft.

• Sprayer booms are typically 60 or 90 ft.

• Booms can have from 3 – 7 sections

• Boom controls allows individual sections to be turned on or off

Private company worked with Chris Johnson at USSRC and Tennessee Valley Research and Extension Center to test use of farm RTK equipment using CORS as correction signal

• Private company worked with Chris Johnson at USSRC and Tennessee Valley Research and Extension Center to test use of farm RTK equipment using CORS as correction signal

• Two brands of equipment were tested

Farm in Lawrence County acquired Trimble AutoPilot equipment to use with CORS

• Farm in Lawrence County acquired Trimble AutoPilot equipment to use with CORS

• This farm is located approx. 27 miles from GTAC CORS

In January, a discussion began between Extension PA program and area farmers to gauge interest in CORS as a possible application for the Conservation Innovation Grants

• In January, a discussion began between Extension PA program and area farmers to gauge interest in CORS as a possible application for the Conservation Innovation Grants

Farmers inquired about going together to purchase a CORS

• Farmers inquired about going together to purchase a CORS

• DOT was contacted

• Grant money secured from Wheat and Feed Grain & Cotton Commission

• Word spreads…9 farms buy into the CORS for Courtland

Courtland site became operational on

• Courtland site became operational on

• March 11

Traditional Base Station

• Traditional Base Station

Further evaluation of CORS for ag applications

• Further evaluation of CORS for ag applications

• Funded by Alabama Cotton Commission

• Precision Ag Team plans to apply for Conservation Innovation Grants in 2009

• Require farmer cost-share
• Commercially available technology
• Further partnership with DOT

Shannon Huber Norwood

• Shannon Huber Norwood

• [e-mail]
• 256-412-1696 mobile
• 256-353-8702 ext. 28

• Amy Winstead

• [e-mail]
• 256-443-4752
• 256-353-8702 ext. 26