The CropTec Show – the one-stop-shop for all things precision
The rapid march of technology continues, providing growers and agronomists with increasingly powerful crop management systems.
For those looking to make the most of their farm data, The CropTec Show is an unmissable event. Many firms at the forefront of this sector are attending – companies supplying kit that can harness vast amounts of crop information and, equally importantly, deliver the software to make sense of it all.
The results help growers fine-tune cultivations, establishment, inputs, and harvesting, and provides accurate yield forecasts to help plan the storage and sales of harvested crops.
For newcomers and old hands alike, there is plenty to whet the appetite at CropTec for all things precision.
Rezatec
Rezatec is offering a suite of data services at CropTec. The company claims its agricultural monitoring and harvest yield analytics employ a unique combination of crop growth models driven by weather, management, genetic and soil parameters, which are combined with satellite data and machine learning to give an unrivalled insight into farming productivity.
Decision-support tools derived from the process deliver a range of benefits, such as improved crop yields, lower production costs, and the ability to measure and monitor crops, forecast yield and improve supply chain resilience.
Rezatec is co-sponsoring the Data & Analytics Hub at CropTec (with Prodata Weather Systems and Xcina). The hub will explore the opportunities and profit-earning potential of using and analysing farm data.
Agrovista
Agrovista’s precision team is on hand at CropTec to explain how rapid and highly accurate sampling of soils and new drone technology integrate with the company’s cloud-based crop management system, Axis, facilitating cost-effective farming practices.
Agrovista has upgraded to a new soil-scanning machine, the Veris U3. This measures key soil data such as pH, organic matter levels, electro-conductivity (to ascertain soil type) and topography to ensure appropriate fertility management strategies are employed. The machine can be towed by a 4×4, UTV or tractor at speeds of up to 16kph in 12m bouts.
Agrovista can fly customers’ fields with drones and process data, such as establishment, biomass presence of weeds and diseases and plant counts, for a wide range of crops. The aim to help optimise crop establishment and minimise the need for rectifying treatments during the growing season. In addition, the information helps formulate accurate yield forecasts.
SOYL
SOYL is unveiling five precision innovations at CropTec. ZoneSwitch allows the automatic switching on or off of granular applicators, enabling the operator to automate patch application within fields and/or restrict application of products around features such as watercourses.
A new ‘Active’ mode for the variable rate app iSOYL will be introduced at CropTec. It enables problems or features to be logged whilst spraying or applying fertiliser, useful for recording information such as patches of weeds, slug damage or watercourses.
In addition, a range of improvements have been made to SOYL’s web-based precision crop service MySOYL, including performance maps that combine yield data over multiple seasons. This shows which parts of fields are performing or underperforming, or are inconsistent.
MySOYL also now allows users to see past weather data for their farm, helping farmers make smarter decisions in combination with crop production data layers.
Agrii
A new variable rate nitrogen approach for spring barley uses layers of map data related to historic spring barley yields, soil surveys and satellite imagery to create areas of high and low yield potential. Areas with high yield potential have shown good yield increases from additional nitrogen without compromising quality.
Agrii’s SoilQuest Precision Agronomy offers a service to evaluate, consult, and gather soil and nutrient data to advise on the specific needs of individual farm businesses.
Visitors to the SoilQuest stand can find out how the service provides a tailor-made precision agronomy package to help drive yields, target inputs and maximise efficiency, based on the creation of accurate field maps showing soil variation and nutrient status.
These are combined with accumulated grower and agronomist farm knowledge to divide fields into separate management zones to put nutrients where they are needed.
ACS Farm Image
SoilSmart, part of ACS Farm Image, is expanding its range of tailored sampling and analysis packages to include Precision Sampling and Smart Scanning.
Precision Sampling uses GPS technology to systematically sample a field, taking 16 cores/ha, or a specific number of samples/ha at the request of the farmer. This enables Farm Image Precision Maps that show field zones for pH, P, K and Mg.
Smart Scanner uses the latest in-field scanning equipment adding analysis of organic matter, soil texture (electrical conductivity) and topography via a Veris U3 soil scanner, which can to take 200 readings/ha and form on-the-go field maps via an on-board tablet.
Opti-cal Survey Equipment
Opti-cal provides cutting edge drone software and hardware solutions and can support growers entering the world of aerial survey work.
Its range of sensors include the Parrot Sequoia multispectral sensor, which analyses plants’ vitality by capturing the amount of light they absorb and reflect. The DJI Zenmuse XT sensor has thermal capabilities, that enable more efficient management of irrigation and water pooling.
Using Pix4D’s cutting edge software, multispectral, RGB and thermal images can be converted into accurate reflectance and index maps, says the company.
Landmark Systems
The Landmark Team is demonstrating the latest version of Geofolia, due to be released in January. Landmark says this crop-recording system has been proving itself on UK sites, since its LAMMA’17 launch.
It covers crop assurance, stock records, costings and mapping all in one place, avoiding the need for multiple spreadsheets, and also with a cloud and mobile app option to aid manager and operator alike.
30MHz
30MHz uses wireless sensors and an intuitive analytics dashboard to help farmers monitor their greenhouses, fields, storage or processing facilities to drive productivity, increase profitability and cut costs. Developed in collaboration with Dutch farmers, the Smart Sensing Toolkit is scalable, flexible, durable and deploys out of the box in moments.
The company will be exhibiting a range of sensors that capture granular, real-time metrics including crop-level dewpoint, temperature humidity, pointed temperature and soil moisture for a variety of substrates.
Harper Adams
Visitors heading for the Harper Adams stand will get a fascinating insight into the ground-breaking Hands Free Hectare (HFHa), run by Harper Adams University and Precision Decisions. This project successfully planted, tended and harvested a crop using only autonomous vehicles and drones, a global first.
The Iseki tractor which was used earlier in the project for the spraying, drilling and rolling, will be exhibited at CropTec. The tractor is small and light as the team believe that using smaller agricultural machines could improve soil and plant health. It also fits with the vision of small fleets of machines carrying out automated crop operations in the future.
The organisers say new talent will be needed in the industry to develop the technology. They hope this project has helped to inspire and show people the range of interesting and innovative jobs that are available now in agriculture.
Crop Angel and DroneAG
Crop Angel and DroneAG, specialists in agricultural drone services are pleased to announce the arrival of the DJI Agras MG-1S on show for the first time in the United Kingdom at CropTec. The very latest in spray drone technology, this system combines spray precision with RTK and obstacle avoidance technology taking agricultural drones to new heights.
In collaboration with industry experts and authorities Crop Angel and DroneAG aim to ensure the safe deployment of this precision-led crop spraying technology, currently unavailable due to legislation, to the needs of farmers and growers.
Book your FREE ticket today!
Join us this November 29th & 30th at the East of England Showground to see the latest arable technology on show from our exhibitors, tickets are FREE provided you pre-register before Tuesday 28th Novenber.