Crop Spec, A Collaborative Partnership

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Crop Spec, A Collaborative Partnership

• A real time integrated plant nutrient monitoring
  and application system for Agricultural equipment

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• Founded 1905
• Worlds Largest Manufacture of Fertilizer
• 2008
• 7 Bil in Sales
• 20 Bil tonnes
• Research on N uptake dating to 1960s

• Founded 1932
• World Leading Company in Optical and Positioning
  Technologies
• 2008 1 Bil in Sales
• PA business since 2007,
• 20 years experience in Ag Applications, Rate
  Control, VRA, Consoles

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The Challenge

• Nutrient supply within a field can be highly
  variable
• Soil Ability to exchange nutrients can vary
• Uniform Blanket application of nitrogen
  fertilizer can result in over- and
  underfertilization
• Measure the current local nitrogen supply
• Adapt Application Rate to Meet Crop Requirement

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Yara Electronic Products ,1995 - Present
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The measurement principle
The N-Tester measures the total chlorophyll
content of the leaf which is closely related to
the nitrogen concentration in the leaf.
Objective To decide on a N fertilizer
requirement based on N-Tester reading
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Just In Time Plant Nutrition
Plant Nutrition, Based upon Crop Need
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Yara N-Sensor adoption

• Number of units by countries as of spring 2009
  800

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Sensing Chlorophyll in the Plant

• Interaction of Light with Leaves

• Specular
• Reflectance

• Diffuse
• Reflectance

• Chlorophyll pigments

• Absorption

• Cells

• Bottom layer

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CropSpecTM - Sensing Head

• Multiple transmitters, one receiver
• Modulated light source gt Pulse Laser Diodes
• 2 spectral channels
• Temperature control

Pulse Laser Diode (1W) 10kHz
optics
temperature controlled
Modu-lation
control unit
De-modu-lation
Photo Diode
High Pass Filter
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Waveband to Chlorophyll relationship

• The basis for getting meaningful crop information
  
• accurate measurements in various crops andover a
  wide range of crop densities
• based on know-how and extensive field trial work
  by Yara
• 730-740 nm 800-810 nm

Source Reusch, 2005
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Impact of different N supply on the reflectance
spectra of winter wheat
Reflectance
0,6
N Supply
Increase due to
increased biomass
200 kg/ha
0,5
120 kg/ha
0,4
60 kg/ha
0,3
N response trail, 1994
0,2
Decrease due to increased
chlorophyll content
0,1
IR
0
450
500
550
600
650
700
750
800
850
Wavelenght, nm
IR

• N status of crops can be measured by analysing
  reflectance spetral data gt non-destructive,
  non-contacting

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System testing
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CropSpecTM specifications
Environment IP 67 compliant
Laser safety Class 1 or Class 1M
Physical Dimensions 200 mm x 80 mm x 80 mm
Mounting height 2 - 4 meters
Viewing angle 45- 55
Temperature 0 - 60Celsius
Operational wavebands 730-740 nm and 800-810 nm
Supply voltage 10-32 VDC
Supply current 5 A
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Sensor Viewing geometry
d/2
v
50
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h
x1
x2
H X1 X2 Footprint (width)
2m 0.89m d/2 2.97m d/2 2.08m
3m 1.34m d/2 4.45m d/2 3.11m
4m 1.78m d/2 5.93m d/2 4.15m
sensed area
sensed area
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• Large Sensor Footprint

• 3m

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Cab Mounted Sensors

• Geometry provides largest footprint per sensor in
  the industry
• Sensing Larger of Area to be Applied
• Redundancy in Left and Right viewing areas
• Safety and Stability of Sensors
• Less potential for damage
• Viewing crop at an angle, rather than from 90
  degrees directly above
• Minimize affects of shadowing, crop movement,
  etc.
• Light Source and Detector at Uniform Angle to
  Crop
• Minimize affects of crop movement, weak crop
  stands.

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Crop Spec System Diagram

• RS232

CANBUS
Topcon X20
Implement with Liquid or Granular Application
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X20 as Controller and Data Collector
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Biomass map
N application map
Field size 60.6 ha Minimum 0
kg/ha Average 62 kg/ha Maximum 110 kg/ha
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Reliable measurements day and night
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Designed to facilitate Accuracy and
Repeatability
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CropSpec Operational Modes

• Read and Record
• allows the user to collect and store data for
  offline analysis and creation of prescription
  maps
• Use of various tools to develop prescription
• User Determined Rate Control
• 2 point Calibration, User sets High and Low
• Field Observation point and use existing
  algorithm
• On the Go Averaging with User determined target
  rate
• On-the-Go Application using Yara Agronomics
• uses Yaras crop specific algorithms to determine
  optimum amounts of fertilizer for real time
  variable rate application

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Achievable Yield Advantage
1999-2002, 160 Yara N-Sensor trials
Average 1.8 dt/ha 2.3
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Advantages of N-Sensor Controlled Nitrogen
Application

• Yield increase 2-3
• Easier and better harvesting
• More homogeneous grain quality
• Lower risk of lodging
• Better nitrogen use efficiency
• Full documentation of the fertilizer application

Achievable profit 30 100 /ha
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Relationship between reflectance measurements and
N uptake
active measurement (N-Sensor ALS)
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Preliminary research results
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