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Leesburg, Ohio | On seeding rates, our average corn population is about 33-34,000 seeds/acre. The corn seeding prescriptions vary the rate from about 30,000 on poorer areas to 38,000 or more on the best producing areas.
Soybean rates average about 155,000 seeds/acre, and can vary from 130,000 on the best ground to 190,000 on the poorer clay hills, just the opposite of corn.
On Nitrogen, the scrips push the best areas and cut back on the poorer ones, So probably not using much, if any more N, but getting more of it to the best potential producing areas.
Same with lime and P and K.
I cannot really give you a hard $ ROI. I just know we are seeing consistently higher yields without a bunch more volume of inputs overall. And nothing to say those higher yields are not just weather or genetics, or...?
I CAN tell you that simply using section control on chem and seeding application, we are saving at least $15/acre/year over no section control, simply from elimination of overlap on ends and points. For us, that was enough to pay for all our technology in a 2-3 years.
Part of the equation is that it just makes sense economically, and environmentally, to put the inputs on the areas that need it without over-applying on the areas that can't use it productively.
If you are farming very small fields, and treating them each individually regarding rates, maybe you are already doing the same thing manually that we are using technology to accomplish? Even on small fields, though, I think there is room for improvement in tailoring rates by smaller areas.
Some of this benefit can be gained by using satellite imaging, existing soil type maps, and such. But the real results get measured and future plans get adjusted most significantly by the data from the yield maps.
The other thing it allows us to do much more easily, is try new products or practices, and compare actual results, side-by-side, in yield, by using the application mapping technology to identify what practices we applied, and where, and then automatically see the results at harvest in yield. | |
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Yield Mapping - Uses?
