Precision technology showcased at 2015 Farm Science Review

Anyone doubting the accuracy, potential, and future of precision technology in agriculture has probably not seen the aerial photos of a corn field with an unmistakable Block O pattern at the Farm Science Review (FSR) south of I-70.

The demonstration plot’s design was created with new dual-hybrid planting technology in Field 5 at the FSR. The two hybrids for the Block O in the field were chosen for effect — most of the corn in the field has a traditional golden-colored tassel while the hybrid used for the Block O has a purple tassel.

“It definitely has a cool factor to it,” said John Fulton, precision agriculture specialist for Ohio State University Extension. “But basically, it’s a good opportunity to demonstrate the capability of new technology and start engaging growers and educating them about aspects they need to consider when adopting new technology. And, from our perspective, we want to understand its functionality and, when requested, help companies improve the technology.”

The design in Field 5 was implemented with a Case IH planter fitted with Precision Planting multi-hybrid seed meters used to plant the field. The Kinze 4900 series planter also features multiple-hybrid planting capabilities.

Fulton is helping lead OSU Extension research efforts on new planting technologies for corn and soybeans in Ohio, both at Ohio State agricultural research stations and through on-farm research with collaborating farmers.

“In general, farmers have always managed their acreage on a per-field basis, depending on their soil characteristics and other production factors,” Fulton said. “Now, 2015 is the first year technology is commercially available to farmers that allows the planting of two different hybrids in the same field. With this new precision technology, we can match more productive ground with a racehorse, or offensive type of hybrid, which would maximize yields in a year with good weather and the proper management. On other areas of the field, you might want to place a more risk-averse, or defensive, hybrid that would still produce favorable yields even during adverse growing seasons.”

With regard to precision, planting technology is allowing for multiple new possibilities.

“We can plant two hybrids in the same field, we can plant rate by hybrid and the electric drive per row enables turn compensation to adjust the population accordingly across the planter when traveling around a curve. We don’t have answers about the agronomics and economics to-date but we are beginning to explore the benefits. It could be one of those technologies that could really return dollars to the farm business,” Fulton said. “We are at the very early stages to determine where the value exists for the farmer. The industry is reporting that this technology could provide a $40 or $50 gain per acre in corn. We don’t have economic data available so we are focused on providing farmers the background and information about the technology before they decide to invest, or if they have already

invested, we want to have recommendations for how best to use it.”

A second key area of increased precision and management that will be an important part of this year’s FSR is the management of farm data.

“How do we really begin to take the knowledge from the farm and the agronomist and the data that has been collected and use it to make decisions? At the FSR, you are going to see more software companies this year that can help make that happen. We don’t have all the science established for data analytics yet but we are working on data solutions so we can further help farmers,” Fulton said. “As an industry, we are looking at how all of these pieces can be put together with all of these analytic tools out there. If you are interested in data management, be sure you are taking the time to correctly set up and calibrate your equipment, whether it is a yield monitor or your application equipment. We know that inaccurate data is fairly prevalent and accuracy is one of the key things that the farmer can really influence. Take the opportunity to archive the data being collected on your farm so you can take advantage of it. Then work with a trusted data consultant that understands your operation and the agronomy around your area. You need someone to help dive into some of these questions.”

An emerging source of additional information for on-farm decision-making is drone or Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) technology that is gaining more attention in agricultural research.

“We are trying to do a couple of things with drones. One, we want to really define some of the true functionality that can be delivered through drones. There are different types of cameras they can carry and we are really trying to connect that and good photo resolution with in-season decision making. We are trying to identify and provide an action of some level that the grower can have confidence in based on what they can see with drone technology,” Fulton said. “As we think about corn and soybeans in Ohio, nutrients are a huge topic along with other production factors that influence yield and ultimately profitability. How do management practices layer into improving the decisions made on those farms? The drone can be a good tool to help in in-season crop evaluations.”

Scouting efforts can really be refined with the strategic use of drones as well, Fulton said.

“We can identify stressed areas in the field and then use that information to drive scouting efforts. I may not know what the cause of the variability is that I am capturing in my drone images, but then I know where to focus my scouting to bring good ground truth perspective with tissue or soil samples,” he said. “There is a lot of value drones can bring to that. Then, by taking things to the next level, we could take remote sensed images in combination with ground truth data to help create prescriptions. These kinds of systems can very quickly provide information back to the grower to help make those decisions during planting or other times of the growing season. Timing can be important.”

Fulton is also looking at how to overcome some of the current challenges with drones. “Drones now are limited by the fact that the maximum flight time for some of these drones is short, which makes it difficult to think about covering several thousand acres at a time,” Fulton said. “And as an ag community, we must be aware of the laws and safe operation. The more issues that pop up, the more issues we are going to have in the future.”

Collaborative efforts between Fulton’s research, the FSR, and the Ohio/Indiana UAS Center will be on display at this year’s event. Drones have been one of the fastest-growing areas of interest in agriculture over the past couple of years and hold great potential for data collection, said Ryan Smith, director of the UAS Center. Based in Springfield, the center offers resources to support research, development, testing and evaluation of the technologies for academics, businesses and government. Farmers will be able to use the technology to collect information in a variety of areas — crop health and emergence, weed location, water content, chemical compounds and more, Smith said.

“The technology is changing rapidly,” Smith said. “The aircrafts continue to develop and change weekly, market sensors keep improving, and data processors are discovering how to take massive amounts of data and create usable records.”

Current aviation regulations are an important consideration with the use of the technology. There are no set commercial regulations specific to UAS technology to date, so farmers who wish to fly UAS must apply for an exemption from the Federal Aviation Administration. This is a challenging process that can take more than three months if an approval is granted, Smith said.

“The FAA is in the process of developing rules specifically for UAS technologies,” he said. “These regulations will be less burdensome than current rules, allowing more freedom for commercial uses.”

For the third year in a row, the FSR will feature live drone demonstrations. In addition to live field demos, UAS technology and data will be on display in the Firebaugh Building and featured in educational sessions throughout the show, such as the “Drones in ag: Know the law” and “Farming the bottom line with drones” presentations in the “Question the Authorities” Q-and-A sessions offered daily during the show.