Soil tests, accurate yield maps, and layering data — LIVE! with Marvin Talsma

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How much field-level data is enough and how much is too much? In a time when we can measure so many things, how do we make sure what we’re measuring is accurate and useful?

In this RealAg LIVE! host Shaun Haney is joined by Marvin Talsma, with Climate Fieldview, to discuss setting up your precision ag set up ahead of harvest, the importance of accurate yield maps, and the big questions surrounding privacy and data sharing.

Don’t miss the RealAg LIVE! segment most Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday afternoons at 1 pm Mountain/3 pm Eastern on your favourite social media platform — Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Twitch!

  • Marvin is based at southwestern Ontario
  • Precision ag is often associated with harvest and that yield monitor and map
  • Yield is your report card — how did you do?
  • Harvest is the Stanley Cup finals for each farm
  • Farmers do trials even when they don’t plan to, like if the seeder ran out of seed, or if fertilizer didn’t go down. Just have to measure it!
  • Get your harvest equipment out early, get it calibrated, get your software updated, run through it and work out any of the bugs before the stress of the season fully hits
  • Already in the middle of harvest and everything is running smoothly? Don’t worry about the updates until you’re done or run into an issue
  • Calibrate that combine! Calibrate the weigh scales, too. Yield monitors need calibrated.
  • If you want a the truest yield map possible, it’s going to require a little extra weighing and measuring and adjustments
  • Then, it’s time to sit down and do some post-harvest analysis
  • Work on what the map can tell you — was it a soil issue? A moisture issue? A nutrient issue? Look at what worked well, or what struggled
  • Climate Fieldview does use a global weather service and work with other prediction tools to forecast and also track
  • Weather stations being down over the summer has been frustrating for the Prairies. Some are getting much older, and may be due for an update
  • Can you work in variety/hybrid differences? Of course! You need the diligence to dig in to the multitude of factors that make (or break) a crop
  • The platform can bring in data from drones, other units (ie. a custom sprayer) can be brought in too
  • It’s a challenge, for sure, to make sure everything “talks” to each other
  • Being brand agnostic has benefits
  • How much control do farmers have on sharing their data? Or NOT sharing?
  • Privacy is key. The decision is the farmers’ to make on what gets shared and with whom. Farmers connect the two accounts.
  • Satellite imagery at harvest? Where does it fit?
  • Layering of information starts to build depth and certainty of the data, but there’s such thing as too much info
  • And where do you start? Soil test, soil mapping. It starts with that soil layer.

 

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