Part I: GreenSeeker/Y-Drop User Panel
By Diego Flammini, Farms.com
The 2015 Precision Agriculture Conference is in full swing early Thursday morning. Groups of farmers and other industry professionals will be attending breakout sessions all throughout the day to give them a chance to talk to the people who develop the technology they’ll be using in their daily operations.
This is the first in a series of pieces about the breakout sessions that started at 7:00am and will continue until 4:00pm.
The first session of the morning revolved around the GreenSeeker technology, produced by Practical Precision, and how its uses are elevated when combined with the Y-Drop from Ag Alternatives.
The GreenSeeker can perform 100 readings per second, conduct on the fly tissue analysis and can help farmers with prescription and application maps.
“The concept of GreenSeeker is going away from 100% (nitrogen application), the one and done concept and going to a 50% - 60% upfront recommendation,” said Barry Raymer, co-founder of Practical Precision. “GreenSeeker can answer all your nitrogen questions about whether the year’s been too hot, too cold or too dry.”
In 2011, Practical Precision partnered with the Y-Drop system as a way to get fertilizer down underneath the canopy, preventing farmers from possibly burning their corn.
“We call it the ultimate side dress system,” Raymer said.
The Y-Drop allows fertilizer to be placed closer to the dirt, allowing for nitrogen reduction of about 1.2 units per bushel while still maintaining yields.
The breakout session also featured users of the technology to share their experiences.
Tyler Vollmershausen, a farmer from Oxford County, Ontario said timing is a key player when using the new technologies.
“The later the better, in my opinion” he said. “Closer to the finish line you can get, the more these sensors are able to cut back your rates.”
Join in on the discussions. Have you used either the GreenSeeker or Y-Drop technology? What was your experience with it?
Check back often as more coverage from breakout sessions at the 2015 Precision Agriculture Conference is coming.