Getting Down in the Dirt

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BetterSoil Alliance aims to provide practical solutions for California’s drought-stricken almond industry

By Douglas J. Guth

With an ongoing drought threatening the future of California’s $6 billion almond industry, Yara International is spearheading a plan to improve soil health and water productivity, giving a boost to farmers whose livelihoods depend on the crop.

In pursuit of more sustainable farming practices, Yara launched the BetterSoil Alliance last October alongside agriculture tech company Heliae Ag. Through the effort, sustainability-focused solutions are being put into practice in 3,000 acres of California’s San Joaquin Valley, home of the nation’s largest almond growers. Overarching goals include a decreased carbon footprint of almond production as well as long-term viability for the industry.

According to estimations by the U.S. Drought Monitor, over 97% of the Golden State is experiencing “severe drought” conditions, with the most extreme impacts suffered by the food-producing regions of California’s Central Valley. Water scarcity, drought and rising temperatures have combined to prevent almond growers—not to mention farmers of all kinds—from properly maintaining their crops.

“There’s no doubt that this is a challenging situation for the almond industry,” says Devin Clarke, Almond Crop Manager at Yara. “We’ve seen an increase in orchard removal, and farmers who don’t have the resources to continue farming even with individual orchards at maximum production capacity.”

Restricted by a limited water supply, some California growers are seeing poor crop results, from nut shrivel, yield loss, to various physical imperfections that change the way they market their product. Increased costs in fertilizer and chemical inputs—together with logistical bottlenecks at shipping ports—has left farmers with excess supply and an attendant drop in crop prices.

These ongoing issues spurred Yara to take action with Heliae as a partner on the soil biology side, says Clarke.

The alliance reflects Yara’s holistic strategy in developing a “nature-positive food system,” encompassing the company’s expertise around enhancing crops and soil health while reducing larger impacts on the environment.

Yara’s Incubator Farm in Modesto is a test bed for this work, utilizing 80 total acres of almonds and walnuts. The almonds program focuses on comprehensive nutrition management and overall return on investment resulting in double-digit improvements around yield, water productivity and nitrogen use efficiency

Production, profitability and sustainability are principles of the alliance as well, notes Clarke. To meet those goals, about 100 California farmers have access to crop nutrition and soil management solutions produced by program partners—a low carbon footprint calcium nitrate fertilizer from Yara and Heliae’s PhycoTerra soil microbial food. Together, these products can drive almond yield and quality, while also improving soil health.

“In working with Heliae, we understood there’s an opportunity to enhance the structure and resiliency of soil,” Clarke says. “It’s a natural fit because of the aspirations of both companies around practical changes to improve soil health.”

A unique solution in the field

The new crop season kicked off in February, meaning it will be months until officials can determine the program’s full impact on this year’s nut harvest. However, independent third-party trials outside the alliance have shown a crop-per-drop improvement in water productivity when utilizing the calcium nitrate and PhycoTerra products in tandem.

Alliance leaders have also tasked new technology partners—PhyTech, Bountiful, and Ceres—with providing data points to build out a digital platform that supports aggregation, analysis, and visualization of program results. Upon comparing metrics like tree moisture stress in treated and untreated orchards, growers can more easily identify lasting solutions. Bringing in tech-focused partners further helps the alliance answer critical questions for farmers uncertain about supporting the cause, says Vice President of Yara North America Debbie Watts. Real-time access to combined data sets facilitates accelerated decision making opportunities for participating growers.

“We have this unique solution, but how do we know what’s happening in the field?” says Watts. “The platform is getting us tangible results on tree health, plus information on in-season production. Growers can include irrigation scheduling into the platform, and input what products they’re using and when.”

NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) imagery from Ceres allows farmers to assess their crop canopies along with individual plant vigor. Participants meeting certain percentage increases in water productivity will receive up to $5,000 at the end of the two-year program.

“The focus right now is on high-value crops that go into food production, because we know these crops have significant decarbonization goals that companies need to hit,” says Watts.

Expanding the alliance’s footprint will be a focus in the months and years ahead. The program’s full reach is forecasted at 50,000 acres, a figure that would cover a wide range of soil types and site conditions, says Yara almond expert Clarke.

“There’s been a bit of reluctance at first from growers, because soil health and sustainability are ambiguous terms that vary in their definitions,” Clarke says. “With crop input prices going up, farmers are just trying to stick with what they know. But growers are convinced by the alliance’s overall intent around nitrogen use efficiency and water usage.”

Education around the alliance centers on its potential value beyond increased yield. Watts stresses a community aspect that brings together farmers, advisors and food companies on the most pressing challenges facing the marketplace.

“Bandwidth is an issue in talking to everyone we need to talk to,” says Watts. “Also, the concept around soil health is an educational process. We’re talking about the impact soil can have when you take measures to improve it.”

Harnessing the Digital Evolution

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Topcon Agricultural Platform brings streamlined connectivity, organization to crop data collection

By Douglas J. Guth

Agriculture has gotten significantly smarter over the last 20 years, notes Ryan Pieper, North American channel manager for Topcon Positioning Systems.

Old-school yield monitors have transitioned to big data applications that collect, compile and process complex crop information. Farmers and their advisors are also harnessing vast amounts of data from “smart” machines and sensors, allowing them to make better-informed decisions around day-to-day operations.

Although this high-tech changeover has not always been smooth, Topcon is easing the process through its Topcon Agricultural Platform, or TAP. The easy-to-use software connects every phase of the farming cycle, ultimately automating data workflow so users can focus on the bottom line.

“Farmers are now generating so many more data layers to make decisions,” says Pieper. “We’ve seen these advantages with other companies, and now we have a seat at the table, too.”

Launched in 2019, the cloud-based farm management platform expanded Topcon’s precision offerings while easing use of data analytics for adopters. TAP acts as a brand agnostic information hub, meaning it can accept and organize information deriving from any machine or implement.

Incorporating innovative connectivity, cloud services and data analytics, the workflow improvement tool eliminates the need to copy files from a thumb drive. Instead, growers who pay an annual fee can access their data on a phone, tablet, personal computer or in-cab Topcon console. Operators can easily sift through color-coded data layers for real-time planting and harvest information – from key seeding data to variable rate fertilization in different soil areas .

Interactive yield maps are transferred seamlessly, providing analysis for detailed digital record-keeping. Upon uploading data, the platform automatically recognizes field locations, then consolidates data into one place for organized review.

“We’ve seen yield monitors out there for several years, but they are only as accurate as their calibrations,” says Pieper. “The grain cart doesn’t lie, so we’re tapping into carts and using that information as a high-definition yield layer and certified data set.”

Changing with the times

Historically, Topcon has offered sensors to original equipment manufacturer (OEM) companies. For example, the enterprise sells boom height controls for self-propelled sprayers, as well as load cells integrated into grain carts.

This year’s Tech Hub Live event illuminated the necessity of Topcon’s increased digital focus. Farmers attending the conference in Indianapolis in July wanted access to layers of vital data that gave them improved insight into any agronomic decisions they made, Pieper says.

Adding connectivity to the farming cycle applies to fleet management as well. Through TAP, users can monitor crucial metrics, ideally reducing downtime and upgrading operational efficiency.

TAP’s agnostic nature means growers will not be slowed by owning various machine brands, as the technology works across all of them. The brand-neutral platform also delivers data straight from the field to trusted advisors, a set-up designed for farmers and agronomists whose livelihoods depend on making key management decisions based on the most accurate information available.

“Many growers don’t have all one color of equipment, so the reality is they’re going to go where they can get the best service,” Pieper says. “Growers can manage data and send it wirelessly to the cloud through a Topcon console. We also have a CL-20 modem that will plug into any non-Topcon monitor, then that data can be sent to TAP. There’s no need for after-market stuff/. TAP is a cornerstone for us in the data space around planting and yield.”

On the harvesting side, the state-of-the-art platform can be linked to the company’s Smart Cart solution. Utilizing a CL-55 cloud connectivity device from Topcon, Smart Cart produces weight-verified statistics that automatically calibrate with TAP yield monitor data. Knowing the problems associated with archaic yield monitors, Topcon designed its innovation with a laser focus on meticulous feedback.

Would-be customers can think of TAP as a data repository that eliminates USB sticks, says Pieper. Visualized data also allows for quick field check-ins not possible with an unwieldy and hard-to-read excel spreadsheet.

Machine troubleshooting is not an issue, either, as customers with cab consoles can contact Topcon right from the driver’s seat, making for a kind of rolling Zoom meeting. A host of security services ensures farmer data remains safe and secure.

“We have the infrastructure and capability behind the scenes to handle all that data,” says Pieper. “We go to far lengths to protect data that starts with a grower’s log-in. It’s their data under their log-in, like in online banking.”

Outcomes from TAP’s global customer base include employing the right amount of manure on just the right acre, resulting in a more precise fertilizer balance. Farmers can also reduce crop insurance premiums through electronic reporting, while agronomists are able to spend time on crop insights rather than data collection.

“The value comes out in that sharing between farmer and advisor,” Pieper says. “It’s not much different than a doctor and patient at a hospital. There are hospitals with portals you can plug into. This is like having a prescription for your corn.”

 

 

Three Essential Elements for Implementing Precision Agriculture on Your Farm

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There’s no doubt. Your vision of the future dramatically affects decisions you make today. The same is true for the implementation of precision agriculture on the farm. If you believe life will continue along much as it has, you will likely choose a much different course of action than if you believe we are moving into a more environmentally aware, consumer focused, efficiency and productivity driven future. The upshot: develop your vision of the future and re-evaluate it regularly.

How? Actually, there isn’t a lot of mystery to developing a vision of the future. Simply read the trade press, attend conferences, and talk with anyone who has a shared interest in the evolution of global agriculture. Sit down with your advisors and family and actually discuss what it all means. Commit your conclusions to paper. It is the routine discussion and debate about the future where you will find your vision.

When you commit your vision to paper, put it in the context of a broad business plan for your operation. Your plan should include these elements:

  • A vision statement (what you want your business to be when it [or you] grow up)
  • A set of goals for the future (some short-term; some long-term)
  • The key strategies and actions required to accomplish your vision and goals.

Remember, regardless of your precision strategy, you should have a written business plan for your farming operation. The reason for the plan is to ensure that you will have done planning. As Dwight Eisenhower said when complimented on the brilliant D-Day plan, “Plans are nothing. Planning is everything.” With your plan in place, you can more effectively develop and implement a precision strategy for your operation.

There’s no doubt in my mind. Farmers will be producing in a more precise manner in the future. So the issue is not whether to participate in precision agriculture or not. The issue is what approach will you follow. Develop a precision strategy. Implement it well. Measure results. Continuously improve. But, for heaven’s sake, don’t wait for it to start raining.

How to Develop a Precision Ag Strategy: Start With These 6 Steps

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Those who are having success with today’s precision agriculture techniques indicate that these are the keys to successful implementation:

  1. Establish reasonable expectations. With a strategy in place, what are your expectations for performance in the near term? Realistic expectations are key. For example, don’t expect your land values to double over two years just because you are actively involved in precision agriculture. It might be realistic, though, to expect that you will enhance your reputation as a progressive farmer and get the nod more often than not in renting additional land.
  2. Prepare to measure ROI. It will take several years of data to thoroughly analyze the return on investment in precision. However, you must start your analysis process immediately. Compile three or four years of production data prior to the use of precision in your operation. Look at yields, costs and services utilized. Calculate historic return on input investment.
  3. Keep track of the same types of data for the same geography after you began using precision services. Look for the differences…but be careful making any big conclusions with only a year or two of information to support you.
  4. Do the basics right. Without a complete georeferencing effort and sampling rigor, it will be difficult to ever really see precision pay out for you. It is true that you can have too much information, so choose precision services which you intend to lever into action in your strategy in the foreseeable future.
  5. Choose the right supplier(s). No decision is more important to your precision agriculture implementation effort than picking a partner you can trust. There are two considerations, each based on your relative needs. First, can your supplier help you make better decisions because of superior expertise? Second, can my supplier help me implement my plan effectively with analysis capability and equipment right for me? While it is important to get a reasonable price, the most important selection criteria are expertise, quality, capabilities and responsiveness.
  6. Continuously learn and improve. Networking with other farmers, suppliers and experts to compare notes is critical in the prudent implementation of your precision plan. In any evolving industry or discipline, new discoveries and approaches are common. Be sure to capture the latest for your operation.

5 Compelling Reasons to Invest in Precision Agriculture Technologies

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Below are five compelling reasons you should invest in precision ag technologies:

1. Precision agriculture technologies have not always been economical for small to medium-sized farming operations. However, as input costs rise, precision agriculture equipment is becoming less expensive and tools such as guidance systems, yield monitors, and variable-rate fertilizer applicators may now be profitable for nearly all growers.

2. Some technologies, like RTK auto-steering, can improve efficiency without changing management practices. Using a GPS-guided steering system can eliminate sprayer overlaps and planter skips that can result in lower profits. Considering an example from an Ohio State University extension article, a grower using row or foam markers on the planter and sprayer might be farming 102 acres in a 100-acre field. This extra area might not seem significant, but when one considers that this translates into spending 2% more on all associated inputs such as seed, fertilizer, pesticides, fuel, and labor, even small application errors can prove costly. An RTK guidance system with 1-in. driving accuracy can eliminate this risk.

3. Despite the fact that yield monitors have been around over two decades, many growers still don’t fully understand how to use them to improve farming efficiency. This lack of knowledge is being actively addressed in a series of extension programs and classroom courses developed North Carolina State University. This training involves on-farm demonstrations, hands-on classroom training using “Virtual Yield Monitor” custom software, and introduction to spreadsheet-based analysis of yield monitor data, yield-limiting factors, and potential changes in management that could increase yield.

4. Variable-rate fertilizer applications have been shown to improve efficiency and increase profits in many grower fields. Several universities and USDA-ARS research units have developed strategies for using on-the-go sensor-based applicators to improve fertilizer use efficiency. Profits have come in the form of increased grain yields without increasing total nutrient inputs. For production, most of these systems consider spatial and temporal variability. Current work is focused on incorporating additional layers of data that includes real-time weather and soil EC into the processes used to determine fertilizer application rates.

5. Precision management pays now more than ever. Current grain and fertilizer prices greatly increase the value of precision agriculture technologies. The information generated using precision agriculture equipment and the decisions based upon it can help mitigate the growing risk of yield loss.

5 Helpful Steps To Precision Agriculture Success

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One of the most common questions I get asked in grower presentations or at ag shows is: “How do I get started in precision ag?” Perhaps a better question is: “What do I need to do to be successful in precision agriculture?”

The precision success stories in this issue provide good examples of individuals who have been successful over the years. But it is sometimes helpful to think back on what are the steps to this success. This thought process is especially instructive to folks who are getting their feet wet for the first time in precision agriculture.

The first step to success is determining whether there is a need for precision agriculture in your enterprise. Just running out and getting a bunch of software or going online may be more of a liability than an asset if there is no well-defined need for the effort. This need can be in the form of expected efficiency in operations or in having better records of decisions made and actions taken in production. The need could be driven by regulatory demands or a proactive position to be in the lead with new ideas in the industry. Whatever the reason, it is important to recognize why one gets involved in precision agriculture.

The second step is determining the specific requirements that will fulfill the identified need or needs. Requirements can be synonymous with technology tools. For example, if I have a need to map my farm, I may require geographic information systems (GIS) software to make boundaries of my fields. If better records are my need, I may require an on-line record keeping program. If I need to report my production practices to buyers, a tracking program may be in order.

Once the requirements have been enumerated, the third step is to identify the personnel within your organization who are going to use IT tools. If you do not have the right people, the tools will be of little or no value. While everyone wishes for a program with a “magic” button that gives an answer, the truth is a user must have a minimum understanding of how a tool works. Before making an investment in tools or education, it is important to find the right individual(s) for the job.

The fourth step to success is training and support, whether from within an organization or outside. Handing someone a set of tools without training can be both frustrating and costly to all involved. Furthermore, the lack of follow-up support for a program can waste untold hours and leave participants feeling abandoned at the most inopportune time. Support is probably one of the most important but least appreciated aspects of any precision agriculture effort.

The fifth step is back-up, whether in the form of an alternate plan to do something or just archiving important information. Back-up also pertains to people. At least two individuals should be trained to perform the same skills. There should be at least two computers with similar configurations to ensure a possible failure of one. Back-up is more than just an insurance policy; it provides added capability in times of short-term, high demand.

Some Steps Beyond

The five steps for success in precision agriculture — determine need, specify requirements, identify personnel, train and support, and provide back-up — must be accompanied by other common sense practices. One such practice is allowing for adequate time to incorporate a precision agriculture technology into an existing enterprise. Whatever time was planned for adding a tool, you should double it. Everything takes longer because of integration issues, resistance to change, and just normal feedback during installation.

Another common sense practice is constant communication during the step-by-step process for incorporating precision agriculture tools. Communication in the form of documentation, check-off lists, and periodic updates on progress keeps everyone focused and on the same page. Lastly, common sense dictates that you never take on more than you can handle. It is better to have one small tool delivered and working, than a number of them incomplete and behind schedule. The careful planning and allocation of resources in any application always pays off in time and savings.

As a final note, precision agriculture is about harnessing technologies to improve decision making and production practices. New technologies, by their nature, are going to be disruptive to an existing operation. But this disruption can be for the betterment of the enterprise if the right steps are taken in combination with a common sense approach.

Joseph Russo, an early pioneer in the precision ag movement, is president of ZedX Inc. in Bellefonte, PA.