PRECISION FARMING SYSTEMS

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PRECISION FARMING SYSTEMS
SEGMENT PLAN
November 2008
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Market Vision (3-5 yrs)
The adoption of grassland farming techniques,
widely used by New Zealand farmers is being
adopted in many world markets, but will result in
the need for best practice in farms worldwide.
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Key Drivers

• Customer reaction to eating food where animals
  have been fed with GE modified foods will drive
  consumer demand for grass based production.
  Corporations such as Whole Foods are promoting
  grass fed products and facilitating the set up
  of New Zealand style farming operations.
• Bio fuel product from crops is making feeding of
  livestock expensive.
• More farms will become corporate or syndicate
  owned and will drive the need for web based
  decision and reporting tools.
• Traceability will result in the adoption of GPS
  based technologies.
• Compliance with environmental regulations will
  require careful management of effluent and
  fertiliser applications to avoid pollution.

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Key Drivers (contd)

• fertiliser restrictions as to the allowed tonnes
  applied will drive demand for identifying grow
  zones within the paddock through the krigging
  process.
• Sky rocketing prices of fertiliser will drive
  consumer demand for variable rate fertiliser
  applications rather than the current method of
  blanket applications.
• Tighter health and safety demand will create the
  need for automated control mechanisms to manage
  work force behaviour.
• The need for an integrated system to manage and
  plan feeding of livestock in the paddock, with
  the meal feeding systems used by organisations
  such as DeLaval.
• Lack of skilled labour and traceability
  requirements will drive demand for automated
  precision farming tools.

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Strategy

• Provide re-occurring revenue stream by hosting
  farms on-line for a monthly charge and
  automating inputs from other products and service
  providers through the use of a web server.
• Provide an on-farm communication data network
  that will upload data either to a PC based or
  web-based management system.
• Provide automated tools that meet the needs of
  farmers using grassland farming practices,
  including krigging to identify grow zones.
• Provide an integrated system to record livestock
  in paddock consumption so dairy cows can be
  topped up with grain during the milking process.
• Establish franchised product and service
  offering to establish global distribution
  support.

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Tactics
To develop the key elements for an automated farm
recording and management system, being ON FARM
TOOLS

• AG-HUB
• Develop and commercialise our web based server,
  Ag-Hub, that will
• host clients farm maps

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Consultant

• Analyzing the data to evaluate
• Pasture Growth variability.
• Grazing Patterns.

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Fertiliser Technical Representative

• Analyzing the data to
• Monitor Nitrogen response.
• Monitor Fertility via soil transect samples.
• Assess Management Zones to compare performance
  and improvement plans.
• The likely result of skilled advice will see a
  Variable Rate Application Plan.

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Tactics (contd)

• receive data on post and pre grazing apply
  krigging application so that the equivalent of
  yield maps may be generated

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Brief Explanation of the Following Slides.

• The next few slides looks at one paddock across
  three months grazing history.
• The Rapid Pasture Sensor was used in the paddock
  pre and post grazing.
• No other forms of information are currently
  available for this particular paddock.
• The raster files viewed are created by the
  FarmWorks Kriging program.

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Tactics (contd)

• provide data for variable rate fertiliser
  applications
• be of open architecture so that inputs from
  other applications and devices can be recorded
• receive inputs from P-Plus showing applications
  such as - effluent application data - pasture
  feed data - ATV safety reports
• export data and instructions to hardware devices
  through P-Plus

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Tactics (contd)

• ZIGBEE NETWORK
• Develop and commercialise a ZigBee, on-farm
  network called FARMNET that will
• have a range of 1.5 km line of site
• be capable of handling multiple devices
• be solar, battery or mains powered
• communicate with P-Plus farm software
• receive and communicate data from other hardware
  devices
• communicate data that will complete actions such
  as opening and closing solenoids etc.

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Tactics (contd)

• PASTURE MEASUREMENT
• Develop and commercialise a rapid pasture meter
  that will
• measure grass height pre and post grazing
• Be capable of storing shape files that will
  result in auto paddock recognition
• Upload data either by Bluetooth or by our
  on-farm FARMNET network

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Tactics (contd)
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Tactics (contd)

• P-PLUS SOFTWARE
• Develop and enhance our P-Plus software that will
• receive data via the FARMNET network
• complete functions such as feed planning
• compile reports such as proof of placement,
  application rates etc.
• export data to Ag-Hub where required
• export instructions via the FARMNET network to
  instruct other hardware devices
• operate as a gateway
• DATA TERMINAL
• Develop and commercialise a data terminal for
  installation on vehicles such as ATVs that will
• be GPS capable
• store a shape file so will have auto paddock
  recognition
• enable in field pasture planning
• record application rates and proof of placement
  for devices such as urea spreaders and chemical
  sprayers
• upload data on our on-farm FARMNET network

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Tactics (contd)
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Tactics (contd)

• EFFLUENT
• Develop and commercialise a GPS based effluent
  management system that will
• be capable of storing shape files so exclusion
  zones etc., can be loaded in as no go zones,
  capable of shutting the system down in the event
  of a gear system failure
• show proof of placement
• application rates
• upload data on our on-farm FARMNET network

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Effluent Management
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Effluent Management Process
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Ali Aly
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Tactics (contd)

• HEALTH AND SAFETY
• Develop and commercialise an on-board ATV safety
  device that will
• record on-farm roll over accidents and view
  location on Google map
• record and manage harsh braking, harsh
  acceleration and high speed cornering
• set safety levels such as speed, harsh braking,
  etc.
• be capable of storing a shape file so that users
  can be warned when they are entering a no go or
  dangerous area
• upload data either by our on-farm FARMNET
  network

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