On-Farm Experience: Garret from Nebraska

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EQUIPMENT: Case IH 7230 combine with John Deere fertilizer applicators hired through the local co-op.

I started using VRAFY last year. Signup was a very simple process. I just went in and added my harvest data into Operations Center, and granted the needed permissions. Originally, I signed up just one 160-acre field. Then, I worked with support to determine a sampling plan, and I pulled 1.5 acre grids.

It was probably the easiest app I’ve used to lay out points for soil sampling. Very seamless to get everything sent to the lab, all the supplies were prelabeled for me, and I had data back in 3 or 4 days. It was very smooth, and it was great to look at those results in a visual representation.

Once we updated the yield data and had the samples, we did the Soil Point to Yield analysis so I could make variable rate maps. They did a good job determining which nutrients were most valuable to add, and I learned the stark differences between some soil types I had. I didn’t realize I had any low pH on that field, but I discovered some spots that could use lime. I was able to put nutrients where they were needed and not apply them where they weren’t needed, so I was able to put far more on in the low-yielding areas and none in others.

It’s very easy to integrate VRAFY into my existing workflow. Once you get into Operations Center, sending prescriptions to applicators was extremely easy. Just drag and drop, basically, and everything worked. It was the first time our applicator had done such a drastic variable rate, and it worked quite well.

I’m thoroughly pleased with how it works, how it’s priced, and the ease of use. The support staff is very easy to get ahold of. If I do have any questions, they generally get back to me in just a few minutes. I’ve used multiple soil testing services in the past, and I’ve always wanted this, and NO company has given me this level of control before. I couldn’t have asked for it to work any better, and I plan on adding the rest of the farm after harvest.

-Garret from Hartington, Nebraksa

On-Farm Experience: Luke from Arkansas

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EQUIPMENT: John Deere S780 combine, with a John Deere 800R application system configured with a 4600 series monitor.

We demoed VRAFY on 612 acres of corn. After seeing how efficient it was for us time wise to take our soil maps and generate prescriptions for fertility, we decided to enroll the entire farm, including all the rice and soybeans. It’s minutes compared to several hours in front of the computer. On our previous program, we would have to either pay a fee for every application or run every soil point through a formula on Excel. If we’re busy and I have to be on a combine or in a tractor or in a truck, I can’t be sitting in front of a computer figuring out crop removal rates.

VRAFY does all that. We run everything through John Deere Operations Center, and it’s fast. I can do it through my phone or jump on the laptop and send it to the floater in less than 10 minutes. It’s increased my efficiency ten-fold, so I love it.

We’re also saving on fertilizer. Where we have been kind of a shot in the dark on potash, we are now seeing we have well overapplied in a lot of areas, especially when you see crop removal based on our yields.

Even in the high-yielding fields, we were higher than we needed to be and were creating salinity issues from the amount of potash we were applying. In some areas, we went from applying 300 pounds of potash to 100, so that’s pretty significant. That’s $40 to $60 per acre right there.

On top of what we’re able to do with fertility, there’s also the NDVI and standard vegetative index. One thing I have noticed is it shows how good you are at watering efficiency. Or with diseases like white mold, you can go out and make an application based off what you see, and in dry areas you can go out and spot treat fungicide.

Finally, the support staff is absolutely wonderful. Every time I call, my issue gets resolved, and I learn something new every time I talk to them. The VRAFY platform is undersold, and in combination with John Deere Ops Center, it’s a game changer for what we’re trying to accomplish. I really like the program, and it’s well worth it.

-Luke from Poyen, Arkansas