The latest PowerZone functionality within the Omnia package will be on display on the Hutchinsons stand at Cereals. Partnering with BASF and its Xarvio Field Manager system, PowerZone utilises up to 15 years of satellite biomass data to create an average view of crop variation in the field.
According to Lewis McKerrow, head of digital agronomy, it is designed to give a long-term view of field potential – a starting point for decisions around environmental schemes, or where to adjust input levels to suit the possible yield.
“It’s a way to see how fields are performing over a long period of time, be it continuous grassland or a full arable rotation,” he says.
Fields are broken into five groups, colour-coded into different shades of green. The darkest green indicates consistently high-performing areas, while the lightest shade shows poorer-performing areas. “It’s important to note that this is relative to the field,” Lewis adds. “Every field is broken down into five areas, so there might be very little difference between the best and worst areas, and you can hover over each part of the field to quantify these with a numeric relative value.”
This broad overview can then be looked at in more detail by comparing with the other layers within Omnia. During our walkthrough of the system, the yield maps of the field showed the same variations as the PowerZone. This more granular detail can help to solidify decisions. Growers may decide to limit fertiliser use on the poorest areas, or establish covers for Sustainable Farming Incentive actions on margins if they consistently perform poorly.
Fast tracking data
Lewis believes that the key benefit to growers will be the ability to fast-track their knowledge of a field. “If you’re taking on more ground, either purchasing it to expand your farming operations or entering into a contract farming agreement, then PowerZone can be used to see the potential of that field,” he says.
Similarly, for growers who have not utilised on-farm data before, the system will provide a years-long overview of the performance. “For growers who have farmed their land for a long time, this will likely be confirmation for what they already know, but the differences can be stark.”
The finer details of the farm, including profitability and yearly yields, can then be input into Omnia as they become available to build that granular detail.
PowerZone is currently available as a no-cost addition for Business Manager Omnia subscribers. Hutchinsons will demonstrate the system at stand 231.