Precision farming Soil Nutrition Water Dr ir Sander

Precision farming Soil, Nutrition & Water Dr. ir. Sander H. van Delden (De. S) Lecturer HAS den Bosch Soil and fertilisation

What is precision agriculture ? Precision agriculture: ◦ Farm management with the goal of optimizing returns on inputs while preserving resources ◦ Crop science: match farming practices to crop needs (e. g. fertilizer inputs) ◦ Environmental protection: reducing environmental risks and footprint of farming (e. g. limiting leaching of nitrogen) ◦ Economics: more competitiveness, causes efficient (short term) practices (e. g. improved management of fertilizer usage and other inputs).

Measures of productivity and efficiency ? Input of resources system Output of products Productivity: [Product output / Resource input] Amount of product produced per unit resource input e. g. labour productivity [Resource output / Resource input] Efficiency: [ Output / Input ] ratio of particular resource, e. g. nitrogen, phosphorus, energy 3

Ingredients for precision agriculture Farm management with the goal of optimizing returns on inputs while preserving resources (Crop) science ◦ What are the needs of my crop ? (dose – response) ◦ What are the needs of my soil ? Environmental protection ◦ What are my limitation by mitigation (law) and long term damage to my system ? Economics ◦ What are my investment / costs ? ◦ What is the value of my product ? ◦ What is the return on investment (marginal productivity) ?

What are the needs of my crop ? Research on dose response Water Nutrients Soil Crop Ecology Climate Starting material

Measuring: Does my crop gets what it needs ◦ Lectures Toine Buijs ◦ Jan Ties Malda ◦ Ecology Rob Kerkmeester Does my soil provide what my crop needs? ◦ Meten is weten?

Meten is weten? (measuring knowing) What is the cause of stains? High fever Long in the sun After a skating Skin disease Anxiety Rage Blush . . . Picture PPO (2012)

Example: Potato field Cause of stains drought soil structure flooding nematodes N deficiency fertilization Errors diseases . . ? Picture PPO (2012)

Most sensordata is relative! Variabel doseren N-advies Picture PPO (2012)

Primary indicator Calibration lines Secondary indicator

Example: Potato field Cause of stains drought soil structure flooding nematodes N deficiency fertilization Errors diseases . . ?

Law of the Minimum Justus von Liebig Pathogens Drainage Structure Organic Matter “Yield is is proportional to to the amount most limiting “Yield of the factor” mostgrowth limiting nutrient”

Measuring element in the soil Total soil reserve Soil reserve Plant available reserve (including fixed portion) Readily available for uptake Metaphor Basement Kitchen Table Plate Method K-total K-CEC K-PAE K-soil solution K per ha. 1000 kg 500 kg 180 kg 50 kg

p. H and nutrient uptake

Organic matter and Moisture

Geonics EM 38 unit Hossian 2008

The Mole The Soil Company

Gamma-ray Alfa: He, shielded by paper Beta: 1 elektron, shielded by aluminum Gamma: EM radiaton, shielded by 4 m lead

Gamma-ray Half life times 238 U 4. 46*109 yr 232 Th 1. 39*1010 yr 40 K 1. 3*109 yr 137 Cs 30 yr

Correlation and calibration

Measuring gamma Factors influencing gamma measurements: (irrespective of sensing system) Gamma influential factors Temperature of crystal Measurement height

From gamma to soil properties Which properties can be mapped? Soil texture; clay, loam, grain size Nutrients; Soil organic matter, Mg, p. H, Fe, K Depends on the size and scale of calibration dataset

From gamma to soil properties Regression analysis

From gamma to soil properties

Law of the Minimum “Yield is is proportional to to the amount most limiting “Yield of the factor” mostgrowth limiting nutrient” Justus von Liebig Pathogens Drainage Structure Organic Matter Ask yourself: Do I get paid for a more homogeneous product ? What is the potential gain of precision farming and is this worth the investment……in time and equipment ?