Technology Questions from a College Student

mgriffin4024

New Member
Hey everyone, I'm new to this forum and hoping I can get some help. I'm a sophomore in college, studying Crop Sciences. I'm currently taking a class in AgriBusiness. We've been asked to learn about various farming techniques and topics and then report on our findings. I don't have many farming contacts, so I thought I'd ask my questions online. I’ll break my questions up into a few different posts. Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

PLANTING
  1. Does anyone use any technology (programs or software) for any part of preparing your machines for planting season? Are you sending data to and from your machines? If so, what do you send? How? When?
  2. I’ve done some research and learned about something called Configuration Files for machines. Is anyone using these? What do these files include? How do they get created and when does that usually happen? Do they usually change from year to year?
  3. Lastly, how many fields do you have? How many of those fields typically have more than one hybrid?

PRESCRIPTIONS
  1. I’ve also done some research on prescriptions, but am still learning. Is anyone currently using prescriptions? If so, what kind? Does this ever change?
  2. Are you creating your prescriptions or is someone else? What is this process like? When do they write a prescription for the next season? What happens once they are created? How long does that process take for each prescription?
  3. Do you only use a prescription in one field or do you use the same prescription for multiple fields? How do you know which fields to put the prescription in? Who decides this?
  4. Once a prescription is done, how often does it change? How do you make changes? What happens when changes are made?
  5. Do your prescriptions change from year to year, or do they stay the same?
 

Shutesy

Moderator
Arable Farmer
@mgriffin4024 I think you will have some difficulty getting replies to your questions as I assume your based in the US or Canada so things are worded differently over there to here in the UK which is where the majority of farmers on this forum are based. There are quite a few things I don't understand what you mean.

Planting:
1. No, plug in the control box, fill with seed, calibrate and off you go.
2. No idea what a configuration file is.
3. 33 fields, what do you mean by a hybrid?

Prescriptions(not sure what you mean but i guess spray recommendations?)
1. Agronomist sends out spray recs everytime a different crop needs spraying
2. Agronomist writes them, only writes one for each crop type each time it is sprayed, takes about 5 mins each time.
3. 1 prescription per crop type per spray application, fields have numbers.
4. No changes, just get on and spray it.
5. Some change some are the same.

Dont know if that helps or even if i have understood correctly, same applies to your other post in the other section.
 

mgriffin4024

New Member
Thanks for your reply! And for the heads up on the wording.

PLANTING
  1. In the US, a lot of growers use displays in their machines, as well as some sort of computer program that sets them up for each operation (planting, spraying, harvest). Are you doing anything like this? Or are others in the UK?
  2. By hybrid, I mean variety (or seed type). What do you call it?

PRESCRIPTIONS
  1. I think we have the same understanding of what prescriptions are. It's somewhat difficult, because I'm still learning the ins and outs. I know you can also use prescriptions for planting. For example, if you have a field with different soil types, you can use a prescription that varies the seed rate. Does that make sense? And if I'm telling you something you already know, please forgive me. How does your agronomist know what kind of recommendations to make? How do you work together to determine such things?
  2. The rest of the information you provided helps a lot! I do have a follow up question though: When changes are needed for your spraying prescriptions, why? What is the cause for change?

Thanks again. I really appreciate it.
 

mgriffin4024

New Member
I've gotten 1 great response so far. Does anyone else have time to weigh in? Our professor recommended we get at least 3 different perspectives, but 5 would be even better. Thanks!
 

augie

Member
@mgriffin4024 I use farmworks to create shp. files which can be exported to a Topcon x30, this is linked to the drill controller via RS232 to vary the seed rate according to the prescription map loaded onto the x30. your professor is right in suggesting to use at least 3 perspectives. You need to be clear of your objectives in adjusting seed rate, and how you intend to manage the growing crop. increasing the seed rate may lead to weaker stemmed plants that require more growth regulators, but smother weeds more effectively.
You will need a good set of historical yield data, preferably of the crop you intend to grow, zone your fields for soil texture, depth and (in my case) stone content. Use weed maps and identify areas under pressure from pests and disease, but don't duplicate information from your yield maps. I.e. if a yield in a past crop has been effected by pests eating your crop in that year don't use yield and pests to determine seed rate for the future crop.
In farmworks (or another mapping program) set up all your zones, perspective values by calling them numbers, not names ( don't call soil texture clay, give it a number). create a formula to make each perspective influence the seeding rate ( IF texture<2= 200,<3=150) or similar. Each perspective will have a new line in the formula box. I think there is a limit on the number of perspective that can be used in any 1 formula, but you can use 2 perspectives to build a new layer, then use 2 new layers to formulate another layer, and so on, not user friendly. The easy way is to get a map of your field, divide the polygons up as you see fit, and assign a seed rate to each polygon, then save as a shp file ready to export in a format compatible with your drill controller, but not very scientific.
I have over 100 fields, and the present drill, a vaderstad seedhawk will not vary seed rate on multiple tanks, because RS232 will only allow single product, a farcical situation in which vaderstad have not come up with a satisfactory solution. My knowledge of creating multiple perspective formula is therefore sketchy.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 79 42.0%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 66 35.1%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 30 16.0%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.6%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 7 3.7%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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