Open AccessEconomics of a variable rate fertiliser strategy on a Whanganui hill country station
Author(s) -
Marcus White,
A. K. Metherell,
A.H.C. Roberts,
Richard Meyer,
T Cushnahan
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
journal of new zealand grasslands
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.179
H-Index - 2
eISSN - 2463-2880
pISSN - 2463-2872
DOI - 10.33584/jnzg.2017.79.566
Subject(s) - hyperspectral imaging , variable (mathematics) , robustness (evolution) , agricultural engineering , control variable , pasture , environmental science , computer science , econometrics , mathematics , statistics , geography , engineering , forestry , artificial intelligence , mathematical analysis , biochemistry , chemistry , gene
Automated flow control coupled to differential GPS guidance systems in aerial topdressing aircraft will allow variable rate (VR) fertiliser strategies to be applied on hill country farms. The effectiveness of these strategies will be enhanced with the use of remotely sensed hyperspectral data to categorise and quantify the farm landscape in greater detail. The economic benefit of a variable rate fertiliser strategy in comparison to a single rate (blanket) strategy was evaluated for a case study Whanganui hill country station. The analysis illustrates the robustness of a VR strategy in the face of volatile returns in that it produced a higher 10 year cumulative net present value (NPV) and remained at a positive advantage at three different stock gross margins, in comparison to a blanket approach. The effectiveness of hyperspectral imagery for defining effective pasture areas to assist development of more precise variable rate fertiliser applications, compared to the current visual classification from farm photography is discussed. Keywords: economic benefit, variable rate fertiliser, hyperspectral data