The project was established in 2001 to evaluate the economic returns from Precision Farming for the Brazilian farmers.  As the technology leader in this area, AGCO was invited to collaborate with a number of other complementary companies and research organisations to evaluate the potential for technology like Fieldstar and SGIS in Brazil

During the Expodireto show visitors were given an explanation of the technology and its potential economic benefits for Brazilian agriculture.

The explanation started with a presentation on the history of the project. Two fields, one 124ha and the other 132ha, have been yield-mapped over the past 3 years with a MF 34 combine equipped with Fieldstar.  At the same time, soil samples were taken to analyse soil fertility.  Both fields had a crop rotation of Maize and Soybeans.

Nutrient fertilisers were varied using a combination of yield maps and soil analysis.  The starting point was to apply a maintenance level of fertiliser according to yield "off-take".  In other words in areas of high yield more fertiliser was applied because the crop removed more nutrients from the soil than in areas of low yield.  This strategy was supplemented with the results of the soil analysis.  If the nutrient status of the soil was found to be low the fertiliser maintenance level derived from the yield map was "topped-up" to ensure soil fertility was above the critical level where it might have a limiting affect on yield.

Next, visitors to the show were taken to the field to see the technology at work 

The results from this project proved an economic return of 29 USD/ha by using technology like Fieldstar and SGIS to vary nutrient fertiliser when growing Soybeans.  This increase in profit was calculated on both the increase in Soybean yield and the savings made on fertiliser.  The 29 USD/ha represents clear profit as the cost of the technology and soil sampling are taken into account.

Based on these results, the “pay-back” time for this technology is 3.7 harvests on a 256 ha farm.  This does not necessarily mean a 4-year pay-back, as farmers in Brazil will have a minimum of 2 harvests per year.   On a 900ha farm the pay-back would be 1 harvest or less than a year.

Given the high cost of maintaining soil fertility in Brazil compared to the US it could be argued that Brazil should be more focused on Precision Farming and products like Fieldstar and SGIS than North American farmers. An argument that is now being back-up with hard evidence!

The Aquarius project is now focusing on using the same technology to manage other aspects of the farm such as pH levels and soil compaction.