Yield maps are one of the most powerful – and under-utlised – tools for decision making on an arable farm.
Yield maps are a record of how your crops performed under that season’s constraints, taking into account nutrient variability, soil moisture variability, application variability and much more. The final result is that often yield varies more than we care to admit and we quicky remember the good parts of a paddock and forget the poor parts.
Farmers making the most of their yield data insights annually are fine tuning base fertiliser applications through the use of variable rate, identifying zones of productivity potential or risk to monitor throughout the season and really enhancing not only their final yield across a paddock but also their profitability. Profit mapping is uniquely available to arable farmers and it proves a fast way to identify areas of a farm or crop rotation that need improvement. It also allows critical, justified decision making to take place based on the dollars and cents.
As the harvest season commences, it’s important to ensure that you’re capturing all your yield information, even if you have no intention of acting on the information this season. ultiple years’ worth of data is far more useful than one year of data.
To find out more on how to ensure your yield data is being captured correctly, to save data for your future use for you or to book in your yield mapping requirements for this season, give the expert team at Vantage NZ a call on 0800 482 682 or visit https://www.vantage-nz.com/yielddata
Article published in: Guardian Farming, February 2021