The Strategic Precision Crop Plan
The natural progression from the Strategic Crop Plan is moving from field level management to zone level management with the Strategic Precision Crop Plan. Not all parts of the field are exactly the same, so it just makes sense to target the application of crop inputs to match the crop's growing requirements and maximize potential. With Shark Ag, farm customers become engaged in the Precision Managment Process and choose how to best integrate GPS equipment, spatial GIS data, and superior agronomics to manage in-field variability.
The Precision Planning Process
- Farm Precision Analyzer: Every farm has different equipment and technology available for precision agronomy. We determine what we can accomplish with what you have, or help you navigate into technology integration on your farm. We pull from a vast pool of in-house experience and network knowledge when helping you decide which technology is best for your farm. At Shark Ag we do not require your entire farm to be enrolled in precision agronomy and would rather see your operation engage in a manageable rate of adoption into precision farming.
- Geo-Tool Selection and Interpretation: There is no wrong data layer to use in determining your managment zones. Satellite imagery, electrical conductivity mapping, topography mapping, yield maps and drone imagery can all be used to build and edit your management zones.
- Customer Review, Feedback and Revision: You know your fields best. Management zones, yield goals and the precision strategy continually change and Shark Ag wants the producer to be part of that discussion. We do not use a cookie cutter approach to precision agricluture and strive for flexibility with changing strategy and evironment.
- In-Field Operations: Ground truthing and smart soil sampling are the backbone of our business and what gives Shark Ag's Precision Crop Plan its level of success. Boots on the gound helps us see the variability first hand and verify accurate management zones. Confidence in the zone management coupled with industry leading analytical data interpretation give Shark Ag an advantage in the precision ag industry.
- Precision Crop Plan: Very similar to our Strategic Crop Plan, the Precision Crop Plan is a step-by-step, detailed document that outlines our recommendations for product application and the agronomy behind those recommendations. Zone specific recommendations for seed, fertilizer, crop protection products and soil amendments are outlined in detail and lay out a roadmap of what needs to happen through the growing season to attain the zone specific yield target.
- Prescription (Rx) Creation: The team at Shark Ag, using Spatial Managment Software, then builds a prescription that works with your equipment. We take the time to walk you through how to use your technology and provide 24/7 phone support in case issues arise.
- Customer Follow-Up: We maintain close working relationships with our customers and for Shark Ag to continue to excel in precision agronomy we need your feedback. Zone editing, yield targets, product rates, as-applied maps, service and support are all factors that we review with clients at season end so that the customer is achieving maximum value from our services.
- ROI Calculation and Year-End Review: One of the most important steps in the Precision Managment Process is the final report card. Very few in the agronomy industry take the time to clean and fully utilize harvest data. Using Trimble Ag Software and the Profit Map, we calculate gross and net return per acre across the managment zones. With this data set we can review and answer the questions that are important.
"What was the ROI on precision product application Vs. flat rate application?"
"Did we achieve the yield goals per zone?"
"Are we making money across all the zones in the field?"
"Is precision agronomy making me money across the farm?"