Can Precision Spraying Improve Yield?
Tim Hammerich
News Reporter
When most people hear about precision spraying technology, they immediately understand the savings of using up to 60% less chemical on the field. But there might be another benefit, says Nick Einck of Chandler Co-Op. Not spraying the crop with these herbicides is likely to have a yield impact even if they are not susceptible to that herbicide.
Einck…”We've got a few trials out there where we did half of the field with the site-specific spraying approach, and the other half broadcast. We've all seen it where we go and we apply a field and we have white flash. You know, whether if it's music dryer on corn or, you know, you have some kind of a visual effect, well, that crop has to be metabolized in that chemistry, you know. And to what degree does it cost us yield? We don't really know. You know, there's a few studies out there that are saying three to five bushels. I don't know exactly, but we are excited to see what our own data will suggest in this new approach. You start talking about five bushels. You start doing the math on that. I mean, that pays for the whole crop protection application, you know, and it's pretty serious. You had asked earlier, how does this fit into our strategy? Well, if we can help a farmer get to that spot where they're getting enough yield to pay for the crop protection application, that's huge.”
Once again, that's Nick Einck with Chandler Co-Op.
