PA Methods to Diagnose Crop Performance

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PA Methods to DiagnoseCrop Performance
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• Tim Neale 1 and John Heap 2
• 1 PrecisionAgriculture.com.au
• 2 SARDI

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(No Transcript)
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What Went Wrong? (www.WWW.org.au?)

• Crop grain yield is the ultimate integrator of
  constraints
• Spatial-temporal patterns (PA) give excellent
  diagnostic clues
• - eg gap between vegetative biomass and grain
  yield
• Real-time sensing vs. historical diagnosis

• Yield constraints
• Natural or man-made (management)
• Natural Biological, Soil, Other
• Treatable or untreatable (practicality,
  economics)
• Simple or complex (eg ARG x subsoil
  constraints?)

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PA Methods to Diagnose and Manage Crop Performance
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Constraints to achieving water limited
yield (incomplete list for example only)
Biological Weeds Soilborne diseases Foliar
diseases Soil biota Insects
Soil N P pH Other nutrients Soil depth Soil
texture Boron Salinity Water repellance
Other Frost Wind Herbicide toxicity Water-logging
Compaction Lodging
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PA technologies and data to diagnose crop
performance (incomplete list for example only)
Real-time (sensors) N application (CropCircle,
CropSpec, Greenseeker) Herbicide application
(WeedSeeker) Technologies Yield/Protein
monitors EM38 Satellite imagery Aerial
imagery Weed mapping (CropCircle, CropSpec
etc) Gamma
Data Yield/Protein maps ECa maps Biomass
maps Soil maps Weed maps Disease inoculum
maps Elevation (DEMs) Thermal maps Slope/aspect Dr
ainage models
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Diagnostic Agronomy Where are we?

• Sound agronomic knowledge at paddock level
• Good range of diagnostic tests and tools
• PA research - good progress on specific problems
• Need an integrated approach to diagnose zone
  constraints
• Best diagnostic models are in good agronomists
  heads

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Diagnostic Agronomy Next steps?

• Need to capture and codify agronomists
  knowledge
• and diagnostic process aided by PA data.
• Synergistic combination of technologies
  important
• (e.g. gamma EM38)
• Need sound economic mapping and VRT strategies
• Human observation and experience critical to
  success

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• Potential GRDC investment
• Integrated Diagnostic Model
• Identify major constraints
• Define/research characteristics of constraints
• Construct a diagnostic tool for constraints
• (similar to plant taxonomy?)
• Field test diagnostic tool
• Sampling/testing promotion?
• Develop mapping and VRT technologies
• Practical techniques and economics