Launching their new crop optimisation platform ‘Field Manager’ at LAMMA 2020 Xarvio part of BASF presented a tool that builds on their existing field scouting app. Capable of being ran on Android and Apple systems the pocket scouting assistant provides you with weed and disease identification. Using the phone camera and a cloud based Artificial Intelligence algorithm a confidence score is also provided assisting in future confirmation of weed and disease types. Additionally being able to use the scouting app for flea beetle counts in traps, a Yara based Nitrogen calculator capable of identifying N levels in the canopy and a row crop emergence calculator makes this tool very helpful in management support.
The Xarvio Field Manager platform is designed to manage the complete growing process and provide an insight into crop production and decision making relating to Wheat, Winter Barley and Oil Seed Rape. Launched in 2020 additional crops will be coming soon but for now by entering the planting date, variety and previous crop, including tillage practice the field manager draws on things like the recommended variety lists to predict disease events and plant growth stage. Accurate data entry is very important for the system work well however it is possible to quantify the actual field status by creating an activity in the field manager app while in the field making final checks.
Weather data is also used to calculate local disease risk and supports the clever Spray Timer prediction system. Stepping back to creating fields that a grower or agronomist wants to manage you can use either existing shape files from other platforms including MyJohnDeere.com or an ‘intelligent’ boundary creator predicts the field edge based on what it can see on the platform. Xarvio announced that they are working together with MuddyBoots to create an additional element of partnering helping farmers use this smart tool for field, crop and work management in an efficient way.
Finally, the Zone Spray system can be used to adjust a chemical application rates based on satellite biomass data. This means growers have the option to reduce the rate where the crop is thinner and increase where a denser canopy is seen and potentially higher risk of disease is present. Additional developments in spraying technology from Xarvio include the new Smart Spray system. This utilises camera based technology to visually see weeds and then spot apply chemical directly to the area offering a potential of up to 80% saving in chemical.
Some very clever technology from Xarvio and we look forward to sharing more in the next few issues detailing real case studies where agronomists and farmers are using this system who trialled it in 2019.
