Variable rate strategies can make a big difference when it comes to optimizing inputs and maximizing yield potential, but any VR strategy needs good data to draw from.
To know how much of a difference a variable rate strategy is making requires counting plant stands and comparing those to pre-set targets, says Derek Rude, vice-president of research and development at Croptimistic Technology Inc. That’s what the SWAT Cam does, he says; creating what is essentially a report card for how well a crop is established.
Two cameras mounted to each sprayer boom automatically capture images as the sprayer moves through the field. Machine learning models then analyze those images, gaining information such as plant stand counts across the entire field, says Rude.
When that data is summarized by SWAT management zones, it is possible to have a good understanding of how well the current variable rate strategy is working and make any necessary changes.
SWAT Cam offers up what Rude calls a high-resolution tool that can count thousands of locations in a field, and provide a much better level of confidence in the data than what would have previously been possible by sending an agronomist out to the field for assessment.
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