Lamma sees the launch of Yara UK’s new digital platform, YaraPlus, designed to give farmers and agronomists everything they need to make informed crop decisions.
It has been developed alongside users, in collaboration with John Deere, and consolidates the current digital suite into a single interface.
“We’re not just a fertiliser manufacturer, we’re a crop nutrition business,” explained Darren Glegg, commercial solutions manager at Yara UK.
“What we’ve been wanting to do for some time in the UK is bring all our tools, global expertise and local knowledge together into one platform. It will bring clarity for farmers and agronomists and help them make quicker, smarter decisions about nitrogen use that will save time and money.”
It can be accessed via the desktop app or through a smartphone. The variable rate system uses satellite imagery combined with algorithms from the company’s N-Sensor technology to measure biomass and greenness, said to offer more accuracy than standard NDVI mapping.
“Other platforms enable you to create a variable rate application map, but none will give you a target rate. YaraPlus can tell you exactly how much fertiliser a crop needs,” Darren emphasised.
It can also link to the N-Tester handheld chlorophyll meter to variety-specific nitrogen recommendations, as well as providing photo analysis for early crop assessment and tank mix compatibility checks.
A key benefit is the integration with John Deere’s digital services.
“Farmers on the John Deere platform will be able to import fields directly into YaraPlus, create variable rate application maps and send them straight back as workplans with a single press of a button,” said Darren.
It will also link directly to the Yara order portal to speed up product procurement.
For agronomists, the system will also enable targeted, practical communication with farmers based on location, activities and crops.
“This platform allows us to get to know our farmers better than we’ve ever done before,” said Chrissy Holmes, digital solutions lead, Yara UK & Ireland.
“Users will be able to see crop nutrition advice and recommendations precisely targeted to their fields, their growing conditions. This is just the start of a really exciting era of simpler, more effective digital connectivity with our farmers that will help them to make better farm decisions.”