NCR180, Indiana Report 2000
Purdue University
General Contact - Jess Lowenberg-DeBoer, NCR180
Indiana Representative, Purdue University,
Dept. of
Ag. Economics, West Lafayette, IN 47907; Phone: (317) 494-4230; Fax: (317)
494-9176;
e-mail: lowenberg-deboer@agecon.purdue.edu.
Overview – There is continuing, active
participation in site-specific management research and outreach in four school
of agriculture departments:
Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ABE), Agricultural Economics
(AGEC), Agronomy (AGRY), and Botany and Plant Pathology (BTNY), as well as from
Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Statistics.
Center
Establishment –
Site-specific management outreach and research activities at Purdue University
are coordinated through the recently established Site-Specific Management
Center (SSMC). The SSMC mission
is to develop and disseminate information about site-specific management
methods that are profitable and practical for agricultural producers, input
suppliers, and processors of agricultural products. Personnel: Jess
Lowenberg-DeBoer, director; Keith Morris, information systems manager; and Pam
Beneker, secretary. Additional
information is available at http://www.purdue.edu/ssmc/.
Book – The first major product of the
SSMC is the book entitled, Precision Farming Profitability,
Lowenberg-DeBoer, J. and K. Erickson eds., forthcoming from Purdue University
Agricultural Research Programs, Jan., 2001.
The book was produced with support from CNH Global.
Active
Projects:
Site-Specific
Weed Management Techniques – Case Medlin, BTNY, e-mail: medlin@btny.purdue.edu. The long-term goal of the site-specific weed
management program is to integrate: (1)
remote sensing technology for detecting site-specific weed infestations; (2)
knowledge-based systems for recommending herbicide treatments for each weed
infestation; and (3) site-specific herbicide applicators for treating those
weed infestations with the most appropriate herbicide. The current focus is the development of
baseline data on individual weed species’ spectral reflectance. Through collaborative efforts with
researchers in ABE and Computer and Electrical Engineering and current
technology such as the Purdue University Multi-purpose Imaging System (PUMIS),
this baseline data will be quickly generated.
Agribusiness Adoption – Jay Akridge, AGEC, e-mail: akridge@agecon.purdue.edu
- A major survey
on the provision and pricing of precision (site-specific) agricultural services
by agronomic retailers was conducted.
More than 500 dealerships across the U.S. responded to the
questionnaire. Key findings suggest that
expansion of site-specific service offerings slowed in 1999. And, dealerships continue to focus more
heavily on site-specific services that do not require large capital outlays
such as field mapping. Offerings of
services that are more capital intensive such as controller-driven variable rate
application lag lower investment services, but modest growth does
continue. Pricing programs for these
services are highly variable. Provision
of these services is higher in the Midwest relative to other states, and more
prevalent in cooperatives and larger national organizations relative to
independent operations. Seed continues
to expand as a product line for retail agronomic product retailers. Publications include:
Akridge,
J.T. and L.D. Whipker. “Precision Agricultural Services and Enhanced Seed
Dealership Survey Results.” Purdue University, Department of Agricultural
Economics, Staff Paper No. 00-04. 2000. (available at www.purdue.edu/ssmc)
Whipker, L.D. and J.T. Akridge. “Dealers and Precision:
Taking a Breather.” Farm Chemicals. June 2000, pp. 20-25.
Nitrogen Management in Corn Using
Site-specific Crop Response Estimates from a Spatial Regression Model - Rodolfo Bongiovanni and J. Lowenberg-DeBoer, AGEC - The goal of
this study is to determine if spatial regression analysis of yield monitor data
can be used to estimate the site-specific crop nitrogen (N) response needed to
fine tune variable rate fertilizer strategies. The methodology uses yield
monitor data from on-farm trials in the Argentine Pampas to estimate
site-specific crop response functions. The design involves a strip trial with a
uniform N rate along the strip and a randomized complete block design, with
regression estimation of N response curves by landscape position. Spatial
autocorrelation and spatial heterogeneity are taken into account using a
spatial error model and a groupwise heteroskedasticity model. A partial budget
is used to calculate uniform rate and VRT returns. This study was partially
supported by the government of Argentina, through the Institute for Agricultural
Technology (INTA). Publications
include:
Bongiovanni, Rodolfo, and J.
Lowenberg-DeBoer, "Nitrogen
Management in Corn Using Site Specific Crop Response Estimates from a
Spatial Regression Model," forthcoming in the proceedings of the 5th
International Precision Agriculture Conference, Minneapolis, MN, July 16-19, 2000.
Precision Agriculture Profitability Review - Dayton
Lambert and J. Lowenberg-DeBoer, AGEC - The objective of this report is to summarize and
organize the publicly available studies of the profitability of precision
agriculture. Sources were refereed articles from scientific journals or
proceedings (86%), and non-technical or non-refereed magazines and monographs
specializing in agribusiness services (14%). Of the 108
studies that reported economic figures, 63% indicated positive net returns for
a given PA technology, while 11% indicated negative returns. There were 27 articles indicating mixed
results (26%). Soil Teq, a subsidiary of Ag Chem Corporation, supported
this review. Related publications:
Lambert,
Dayton, and J. Lowenberg-DeBoer, “Precision Agriculture Profitability Review,” www.purdue.edu/ssmc, Sept., 2000.
Lowenberg-DeBoer,
“Comment on “Site-Specific Crop Management: Adoption Patterns and Incentives,” Review of Agricultural Economics 22:1
(2000), p. 245-247.
Lowenberg-DeBoer,
J., “Economic Analysis of Precision Farming,” in Agricultura de Precisao, Aluizio Borém, et al. eds, Federal
University of Vicosa, Vicosa, MG, Brazil, 2000.
Estimating the
Value of Soil Sensor Information - J. Lowenberg-DeBoer and Alan Hallman, AGEC, and Mark
Morgan, ABE, e-mail: mmorgan@purdue.edu - The economic trade
off between grid soil sampling and laboratory tests, or soil sensor data is the
choice between relatively accurate information at a few points, or less
accurate information at many points. The analysis focuses on an automated soil
sampling and sensing system for pH. Compared to 2.5-acre grids, the estimated
cost savings from this system are slightly more than one dollar per acre.
Estimates indicate that the value of yield lost due to sensor measurement error
is small. In the example field, most of the benefit of the pH sensor was linked
to the greater spatial density of pH information. This study was partially
supported by the United Soybean Board.
Publications include:
Lowenberg-DeBoer, J, and Alan
Hallman, "Value of pH Soil Sensor Information," forthcoming in the
proceedings of the 5th Int’l Precision Agriculture Conference, Minneapolis, MN,
July 16-19, 2000
Remote Sensing - Chris Johannsen or Paul Carter, AGRY, e-mail: johan@purdue.edu or cart@purdue.edu - The primary agricultural
objective of this research is develop methods for identifying and monitoring
soil and cropland variables important to the management of site specific
farming. Elements of crop stress due to drought, weeds, disease and nutrient
deficiencies are being documented with ground reference data collected at
regular intervals from the Purdue Davis Research Center (DPAC) and the Purdue
Agronomy Research Center (ARC) as well as from producer farm fields. In related
areas, Johannsen’s group is using remotely sensed data for “directed” crop
scouting (corn, soybeans and wheat), earlier prediction of corn yields, and
early evaluation of nitrogen levels in corn crops.
Site-Specific Weather – Monte O’Neal, Jane Frankenberger, and Dan Ess,
ABE, e-mail: ess@ecn.purdue.edu - The purpose of the
research was to determine spatial and temporal precipitation variability, and
the effect of this variability on spatial and temporal yield variability and
profitability. This was done through (1) modeling of corn yield based on
precipitation data, using both neural networks and a simulation model, for an
east central Indiana farm, and (2) statistical analyses of precipitation and
yield variability within the farm and at the range of nearby National Weather
Service stations. Results suggested
that on-farm precipitation data could be useful, but only one gauge on a farm,
not multiple gauges, would be necessary to make management decisions and model
corn yield at the farm scale. They also illustrated that spatial precipitation
variability is an important factor of spatial yield variability. Publications
include:
O’Neal, M. R., J. R.
Frankenberger, D. R. Ess, and R. H. Grant. In press. Precipitation variability
by phenological phase at the farm scale. Transactions
of the ASAE.
O’Neal,
M. R., J. R. Frankenberger, and D. R. Ess. 2000. Spatial precipitation
variability in the choice of nitrogen fertilization rates. forthcoming in the
proceedings of the 5th Int’l Precision Agriculture Conference, Minneapolis, MN, July 16-19, 2000.
Others include: Sylvie Brouder, AGRY,
e-mail: sbrouder@purdue.edu -
site-specific nutrient management; Sam Parsons, ABE, e-mail: parsonsa@ecn.purdue.edu - yield
monitor calibration and yield mapping software; Mack Strickland, ABE, E-mail: strick@ecn.purdue.edu - voice input for site-specific data
collection and software; Gaines E. Miles, ABE,
e-mail: gem@ecn.purdue.edu - crop canopy sensors
and site-specific, documented pesticide application; Bob Nielsen, AGRY, e-mail:
rnielsen@purdue.edu - yield maps as
diagnostic tools.
Respectfully
submitted by Daniel R. Ess, ABE, Purdue University