The Prairie Star: Montana Ag Newspaper

Here's something that even a teenager can appreciate. A grower can now use digital photography - strapped to an airplane - to get fast field information, using the OptiGro system. The OptiGro system was designed by John Deere Agri Services.

Founded in November 2005, John Deere Agri Services provides services and insight that help agribusiness and growers better manage crops, resources, business and information. The division provides information services to various market segments, such as ag chemical and fertilizer dealers.

Ultimately, the OptiGro system provides a reasonably priced way for farmers to adopt precision farming without having to purchase a lot of extra equipment.

Here's how the OptiGro system works.

Growers contact a John Deere dealer or a Value Added Re-seller (VAR), who could be an ag retailer or an agronomic crop consultant. Perhaps the grower is concerned about weed patches, or disease concerns, or fertility. The OptiGro system can help the farmer make informed decisions on additional inputs.

The process begins with an agronomist helping the grower set field boundaries. Those field maps could have been collected from FSA boundaries or perhaps satellite photography.

The maps could also be created using GPS equipment.

“The agronomic expert is going to determine what's the right time frame for collecting the aerial field image,” said Jeff Keiser, John Deere Agri Services account manager. “They are also going to assist the customer in making sure we have a correct geographic reference for the field.”

With that information, John Deere Agri Services can create a computerized and digital field map that “measures apples to apples.” The staff will put the map for each field into shape file. The ag expert and the grower decide what comes next. The grower can order digital aerial photos of the field. Staff at John Deere Agri Services will take in orders each day for aerial photos.

John Deere Agri Services then notifies the nearest Flight Service Provider (FSP) to take photos of the requested fields.

“They will be notified that very morning with information that tells them where to fly,” said Keiser. “John Deere Agri Services plans their flights for them.”

The Agri Services division has found that a pilot of a Cessna 152 or 182, who has an instructor license, can often take on the role of an FSP. John Deere Agri Services wants photos taken primarily between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. with a high sun - that's usually a time that most student pilots won't be flying because the air is bumpier. John Deere provides training and equipment for the FSP.

Eight digital cameras - in a single pod - are strapped on to the fixed landing gear of the small plane. Two cables run into the cockpit. Inside the plane, a John Deere computer provides the pilot with a flight plan.

“The pilot concentrates on altitude and flight aircraft position relative to the ground to get as consistent an image as possible,” said Keiser. “The computer manages the camera system, the aperture and the exposure. This is a John Deere product that is not for sale. It is operated as a service with our FSP. It is targeted at growers and those who advise growers.”

Each camera has a fixed pixel area, so the pilot flies at about 8,000 feet above ground level. When the pilot returns to the airport, they download the information to the John Deere Agri Services website. Staff “cut out” each field so that only pertinent data is presented. The VAR is then notified that the grower's field maps are ready for download and printout.

“We notify folks via email or cell phone that the images are ready - usually within a few days of the order,” said Keiser. “It's up to the VAR to get that to the farmer.”

The digital detail provides one-meter images across the field.

The VAR then goes out to the field with the information. They will verify at ground level what they think they are seeing in the aerial maps. They may use a chlorophyll or reflected light sensor if they want to find out if corn or wheat needs more nitrogen, for instance.

Information is only needed from a few areas of the field at ground level.

“That information needs to be fine-tuned to the local growing conditions,” said Keiser. “The local agronomy service knows exactly how products might remediate something in an image, or help to identify what the particular stress is.

“The local agronomist can determine what caused the issue - whether it be pH, crop fertility or various stressors. Those vary from year to year within a growing season.”

The advisor information is combined with image data via the John Deere Web website.

John Deere Agri Services OptiGro Zone Maker program translates the images and information into management zones with similar plant characteristics.

The advisor writes a “prescription” for each zone. Agri Services turns the information into a digitized map for the chemical applicator with variable-rate capabilities.

For instance, if a grower wanted to apply a variable rate of nitrogen to corn or wheat, they could start out the growing season applying a lower rate of N prior to or at planting time.

Variable rates of N would be applied based on the information gathered through the OptiGro system.

Growers would likely pay about $7/acre for the information and services. Using the OptiGro system, they would likely save $5-$20/acre.

“The real innovations involved in OptiGro are being able to gain information on a field-by-field basis,” said Keiser. “You can get the imagery and the information at the right time when the crop is either undergoing stress, or in a period of time when you would like to look at the crop in a different way than you would at harvest or planting time.”

The system has been used successfully for mapping and identifying variability in cotton. Research in seven states over the past four years has shown that the OptiGro system can reduce overall production costs, optimize yields, and help growers minimize the chance of chemical or fertilizer runoff or leaching.

“One of the advantages of John Deere Agri Services is we are color blind when it comes to the types of equipment we work with,” said Keiser. “Our system is able to write prescriptions for all of the common rate controllers on the market today - not just John Deere equipment.”

For more information, visit www. JohnDeereAgriServices.com.