Data analysis, data analysis, data analysis. That's what precision farming is all about - hours of looking at data this way and that. If anyone tries to sell you the idea that precision farming will easily allow you to apply your inputs more efficiently, see if he or she will take some good swamp land in Florida on trade.
Many of the precision farming tools we will use in the future are already developed or are rapidly developing. However the agronomics still lag far behind the technology. It is unrealistic for producers to expect they can vary inputs to better meet the needs of next year's crop based on yield maps from one or two years.
With the current vacuum of agronomic knowledge, we may have a better chance of varying our inputs incorrectly than correctly. The homogeneous application of inputs at least meets the needs of some parts of the field. But as Dr. Fran Wally at the University of Saskatchewan states, "We now have the technology to theoretically put 100% of our inputs on the wrong parts of the landscape."
Over time however, our ability to fine tune inputs and place them appropriately will certainly improve. With numerous studies currently examining precision farming agronomics, including District 35's precision farming project, agriculture in the 21st century will undoubtedly look much different.
Members of our research team have spent this winter painstakingly examining our 1997 data. With the learning experiences of combine speed and overloading returns, the yield data appears appropriate. If we look at the data from the stand point of harvesting replicated treatments similar to using a weigh wagon, we see from Tables 1 and 2 in our CPS wheat (Karma) trials that our base rate of fertilizer (60-25-10-10) and seeding rate (90 lbs) proved to be one of the best treatments. When P or K was doubled (50 and 20 lbs/acre, respectively) or the seeding rate was increased to 160 lbs/acre, yield did not change. All other treatments caused reductions in overall yield. Of note are the treatments of zero fertilizer and a seeding rate of 45 lbs/acre. Both of these produced the lowest yields. It appears from this data that low seeding rates may be quite detrimental to producing a good CPS crop.
However, doing yield trials is not why we entered into precision farming. Yield monitors provide an excellent tool for this purpose. But we want to know which treatment performed best on different parts of the landscape (knolls, mid-slopes, depressions).
For example, did lower N inputs on the knoll produce the most economical crop or did lowering the seeding rate have an equal or greater effect? Presently these questions remain unanswered. Our current problem is that we have been unable to locate an air photo containing our plots that is of sufficient quality to use in analyzing the data. A new photo will be flown in 1998. (Usually finding a good air photo for this purpose is not so difficult.) This will allow us to use the '97 information for, guess what, more data analysis, data analysis, data analysis,.......
Of course none of this research would be possible without the cooperation of some very dedicated organizations and businesses. At this time I would like to acknowledge and extend our appreciation to our supporting groups: the District 35 A.D.D. Board, PFRA, Sask. Ag and Food, the University of Saskatchewan and the SSCA; as well as our generous sponsors: Border Agro (Lloydminster), Conserva-Pak Seeding Systems, Cyanamid, Dow Agro Sciences, Enviro-test Agricultural Services, Kasun Agro (Maidstone), Lakeland Implements (Lloydminster), Monsanto, and Tiger Resources. Thank you for your interest and involvement in this project. We look forward to your continued support.
Table 1: Research Treatments in 1997
1. Fertilizer- 30-25-10-10
2. Fertilizer- 60-25-10-10
3. Fertilizer- 120-25-10-10
4. Fertilizer- 60-00-10-10
5. Fertilizer- 60-50-10-10
6. Fertilizer- 60-25-00-10
7. Fertilizer- 60-25-20-10
8. Fertilizer- 60-25-10-00
9. Fertilizer- 60-25-10-20
10. Fertilizer- 60-25-10-10 plus Cu
11. Seeding Rate 45 lbs./ac
12. Seeding Rate 160 lbs./ac
13. Zero Fertilizer
(Base rates used were: Fertilizer -- 60-25-10-10; Seeding Rate -- 90 lbs./ac)