SWAT MAPS for Corn: Strategies for a Productive Growing Season

Amber Knaggs, BSc., PAg.
Regional Manager, MB

I love corn. It’s a crop that just has a lot going on. In Western Canada, it usually means you have a planter, invested in equipment and a dryer, and you are ready for the long growing season. And when that combine and corn header is finally parked, and you were lucky enough to complete the field work, you quickly move into planning season.

This means the “off season” or “winter planning” season is upon us. But this thinking that all the decisions are made during a few months of the year is not true. There are a handful of ‘aha’ moments throughout the growing season that seem to bring reminders of lessons not learnt. Or just a change of weather that highlights an issue that wasn’t previously apparent.

So, during this planning season of looking at the paperwork at your desk or on your screen and trying to plan for the best next season, remember the basics and what happened as your ‘aha’ moments. A soil test and a SWAT MAP can be an essential part of your planning. Below are a few corn related examples.

Salinity and Corn

Corn requires sufficient water. Salinity causes germination issues and poor growth. Soil salinity affects water availability to the corn crop, and any water stress to the corn affects its potential.

Table 1. Percent yield reduction due to salts. (NDSU Extension, 2019)

Table 1 illustrates the wide range of salinity and % yield reduction in corn. 2 mmhos/cm can reduce yield by 10%. However, at 4 mmhos/cm, that number potentially jumps to 50% yield reduction. And 5.5 mmhos/cm is potentially 100% yield reduction due to salts. This illustrates how it is not enough to know an area is just saline but leads to the question of “how saline is it?”.  Is your soil (or zone) a 2 mmhos/cm or is your soil a 4 mmhos/cm? Or are those poor areas 5.5 or more? Some fields are just not suitable for corn – we can’t VR the population enough to account for zones that won’t thrive - these areas should be planted to some other more tolerant crop. It is crucial to have the most detailed information to make that decision.

Don’t forget the micros!

Accurate fertility is essential for proper crop development, yield, and profitability. Having good soil test data to guide these decisions is important. Here are a few micronutrients to keep in mind for your ‘aha’ moments.

Cu by zone
Low copper availability is affected by low %OM, high pH, and highly correlated to soil textures. In the SWAT soil sample below, we see a trend where copper is lowest in Zone 1 and increases to Zone 10. A soil test value of less than 0.3 ppm, and low %OM would be a red flag that copper may be an issue.

Tissue testing is often used to complement information from soil tests. The Zone 1 tested below has  a tissue nutrient level for Cu of 2 ppm which indicates it’s in the nutrient deficient range. The DRIS index value is -101 which indicates this nutrient is most limiting. When both the nutrient level and DRIS index are low, it strengthens the confidence that this nutrient is deficient in the plant.

Micronutrient issues are often patchy, and it may be difficult to decide if you will get a response to applying a micronutrient treatment. Is the crop you are growing responsive or more sensitive to that nutrient? Is one of the other macronutrients more limiting? Or is there more of that nutrient at depth? If the soil is testing below a critical level, that usually means there is a higher chance of response. Sometimes you must live through an ‘aha’ moment, to know that something like a micronutrient is the issue.

Zn by zone
Critical levels of nutrients change by crop. A critical level for zinc of 0.4ppm may be suitable for wheat or barley crops, but with corn that critical level moves to 1.0ppm. Zinc is usually highly stratified with little found in subsoil. Eroded knolls that have lost a lot of topsoil, and accordingly zinc, are at a higher risk of deficiency, especially when pH is high as well. The SWAT MAP soil test shows low Zn levels in Zone 1 and increasing to Zone 10.

The complimentary tissue sample from the Zone 1, shows a deficient Zn nutrient level in crop and a -99 DRIS index value. These tests indicate Zinc is deficient in the plant tested.

Rarely does an entire field require a recommendation for a micronutrient treatment, making it a great fit for VR application. If most of the field is not testing below critical levels, apply only to the areas where it’s more likely you will have a response and ROI.

VR populations with a SWAT MAP

VR populations can be a large part of the planning process as covered in this blog Corn, soybeans, and the ultimate SWAT VR planting strategy. In the following example from 2024, a Southern Manitoba farm, created a VR rate for the entire field, then added strips of lower population of 26,000 seeds/acre, and a higher population of 36,000 seeds/acre.

Yield data was supplied by the client and analyzed by zone.

The data from this year, indicates that statistically, there were differences found between the lower 24,000 plants/acre population and the VR rate on most zones except zone 1. And then, for the higher 36,000 plants/acre population, only zones 3 and 4 were not significantly different than the VR rate. The VR rate corn population had the highest average yield.

I would challenge farms to work on trials that increase their potential agronomic and economic performance. Let’s plan on learning something new and not miss another entire growing season without trying different strategies. After all, you don’t want to be at this same planning stage next year, without having had a good ‘aha’ moment or two.

Make it a plan for any crop

Even if you don’t grow corn, many of these examples work for several crops throughout Western Canada, or anywhere else in the world. A SWAT MAP provides a lot of value and can be fundamental in your farm strategy during the season. Take this time to plan with your SWAT MAPS provider and keep moving forward.

Objectively Measuring Products and Practices with the SWAT ECOSYSTEM 

In agriculture, farmers and agronomists are inundated with products and practices promising to rejuvenate soil, enhance crop health, and boost yields. These claims are often accompanied by side-by-side photos of plants or roots, showcasing dramatic differences in size, color, or vigor. While compelling at first glance, these images frequently lack any scientific rigour as they are often cherry-picked examples from unknown conditions that may not represent the broader field or treatment areas. 
 
To make informed decisions, it’s crucial to evaluate these claims objectively. As agronomists, our role is to cut through the noise and provide measurable insights into how products or practices impact crop performance. While the SWAT ECOSYSTEM offers a suite of tools designed to enable precise, evidence-based evaluations, there are also other valuable resources available that can help bring clarity to these assessments, ensuring farmers and agronomists make decisions backed by reliable data. 
 
Consistency in Side-by-Side Comparisons 
Before diving into specific tools, it’s worth noting that any side-by-side comparisons must start with consistent sampling. At a minimum, plants should be chosen from the same SWAT zone—areas defined by soil, water, and topography characteristics. For instance, selecting samples from a Zone 5 (a mid-slope) ensures that the plants are growing in similar environmental conditions, reducing variability unrelated to the product or practice being tested. This basic principle is the foundation for fair and objective assessment.

Yield Analysis with the Yield Potential Program (YPP)
One of the most reliable indicators of success is yield. By using yield maps, farmers and agronomists gain an objective view of crop performance across an entire field. The SWAT MAPS Yield Potential Program (YPP) enhances this process by breaking down yield data by SWAT zones and further, into treatment areas if applicable.

This functionality allows farmers to identify how a product or practice performs under various conditions within the same field. For example, a fertilizer might show a higher yield response in an upper landscape position or SWAT zone 1-4 for example, while its impact diminishes in wetter, depressional areas. Best practices for such trials include replicating treatments across multiple zones to minimize bias and improve reliability.

Assessing Crop Growth with SWAT CAM
SWAT CAM, a sprayer-mounted field imaging system, offers another layer of insight. It provides high-resolution images of the field after each sprayer pass, enabling agronomists to assess crop growth and plant stands with precision.

SWAT CAM can be particularly useful for visualizing treatment effects very early in season. The system creates maps of plant stands and crop coverage, with the added ability to zoom in on individual image points. This tool empowers farmers to make informed decisions by monitoring how products or practices influence crops throughout the growing season. Instead of relying solely on end-of-season yield data, SWAT CAM provides real-time feedback on plant health and uniformity.

Leveraging Other Tools for Objective Insights
In addition to YPP and SWAT CAM, several complementary tools can help refine treatment evaluations:

Satellite Imagery: Platforms like the Copernicus Browser offer weekly biomass imagery, allowing you to monitor growth differences throughout the season. While cloud cover or smoke can interfere with acquiring useful images, this is an excellent resource for spotting trends across large areas.

Comparative Tissue Testing: Tissue testing from treated and untreated areas within the same SWAT zone provides insights into nutrient uptake and plant health. This can often explain yield differences observed in the field.

Feel Confident in Your Decision Making
As an industry, we can do better than subjective side-by-side photos as evidence of product efficacy. By leveraging tools in the SWAT ECOSYSTEM—YPP for yield analysis, SWAT CAM for growth monitoring, and satellite imagery for seasonal trends—we can move toward more objective, data-driven evaluations. Many of these tools are readily accessible, cost-effective, and easy to implement, offering a deeper understanding of soil, crop, and yield variability. If you're ready to elevate your approach to assessing products and practices, start with the base layer for all SWAT ECOSYSTEM tools.

Interested in these tools? Get in touch with your SWAT MAPS agronomist today.

Where did my Nitrogen go? Don’t guess – soil test!

Saskatchewan, Canada - As fall soil sample results roll in from the central prairie region, it becomes clear that nitrate soil residual levels are lower than what we were expecting.  Consensus from harvest is that yields were below target even though crops had a great start and looked good until the end of June. The lack of moisture in some areas for all of July and August, along with the intense heat that came with July most likely negatively affected yields.

When this happens, we tend to see it reflected in our fall soil test results. However, this year nitrate levels seem to be low no matter the field or area we look at. Here we have summarized all of our soil sample results from this fall by soil zone and SWAT zone and also compared them to 2023 fall sample results.

Typically anything below 20lbs of residual nitrate would be considered depleted which we see quite commonly across all soil zones in SWAT zones 1-6, except for maybe in the brown soil zone which has slightly higher residual nitrate values.

And when we look at the comparison to 2023 soil nitrate levels, we have more fields in the <20 lbs range of residual nitrate in 2024 then we did in 2023 when looking at all soil zones and SWAT map zones combined. There is a clear shift to lower nitrates with significant reductions in excessively high testing areas (>60 lbs) as well, which helps reduce environmental losses over winter or next spring.

Our best explanation to this trend for fall of 2024 seems to be the pattern in which the crop grew.  There was a lot of crop growth early on and that biomass would have had a large nutrient demand as most crops require a large portion of their nutrients prior to tillering in cereals and bolting in canola.  These timelines would match up to when growing conditions were ideal.  When environmental conditions took a turn for the worse (July/Aug) the crop nutrient demand decreases as nutrients are only needed to fill seed and carry out the yield potential that was set earlier (either hit or miss it).  Our hope is that the nitrogen is tied up in crop residue which will eventually be returned to the soil through decomposition and mineralization.

The other possible explanation for lower nitrates is less mineralization. Under dry topsoil conditions, microbes are less active, and therefore we don’t see as much nitrogen coming from mineralization.

This is why soil sampling in the fall is very important, especially by SWAT zone, to determine the residual nutrients in your fields. The data reinforces that despite average soils being low, there can still be other areas that test very high or even lower, so understanding that variability can help make better fertilizer decisions. Don’t guess – soil test!

Dabbling with VR lime and seeing the visual difference with Prairie Insights

Kyra Sinclair of Prairie Insights, located a mile north of Vermilion, AB, says harvest decisions are becoming easier and big ROI is more likely. Now in their fourth year of offering SWAT MAPS services to clients, the results continue to prove the visual difference seen in typically low yielding areas, and knowing that fertility isn’t being wasted.

“The main thing our customers are noticing is how even we’re managing their fields. In areas of their fields where they didn’t think it was possible to get that plant stand or that yield, we’re evening out that maturity,” said Sinclair.

Prairie insights began as an agronomic consulting and crop scouting business in 2018. After bringing SWAT MAPS into their business offerings, they now also specialize in zone soil and tissue sampling.

“We did lots of composite soil sampling and realized blanket applications need to be dialed down and we needed to be more specific about where we’re sampling. We wanted to offer farmers more intricate data. We found that relying on the data gives us a good picture of the field.”


In the area that surrounds Prairie Insights’ clientele, Sinclair says the low base saturation of calcium and acidic pH is a big limiting factor on yields. To combat this, they have been working with VR lime, which is new to the area.

“The cost of doing it may seem like a setback, but the maps help us save the producer money by not blanketing an application of expensive lime across the entire field. Sometimes only half of the field should be limed after we analyze the soil samples.”

Another hesitation is the worry of the difficulty level when it comes to using the technology and loading a map into the drill.


“Even customers who aren’t as techy are able to jump on board with this,” said Sinclair. “On the agronomic side there are producers who are skeptical too, but it all goes back to being able to see how even the crop is as it nears maturity and peace of mind knowing the money put into fertility isn’t being wasted.”

Prairie Insights is continuing to expand their horizons by focusing on liquid fertilizer applications through Y-drops on corn, exploring the use of SWAT CAM, and seeing great results with variable rate corn seed.

“We put so much passion behind what we do. We treat every field like it’s our own and we’re tweaking and perfecting all the time. We’re very proud of the retention with our clients.” said Sinclair. “At the end of the day we want our growers to put more bushels in the bins and if we can be a part of that then I believe we’ve done a good job.”

The SWAT MAPS Team is proud to work alongside dedicated teams like the one at Prairie Insights. Stay tuned with what’s happening in their area by following them on Instagram or contacting Kyra directly.

Instagram: @prairieinsights

Contact:
Kyra Sinclair
306-441-8084
kedwards@prairieinsights.com

Farmers: visit https://swatmaps.com/partner-locator/ to find a SWAT MAPS Service Provider near you.

Service providers: Contact us for partnership opportunities.

SWAT Partner Announcement: Crowl Agronomy

The SWAT MAPS team is excited to welcome Crowl Agronomy as a new SWAT MAPS service provider located in Spearman, Texas.

After seeing results first-hand, owner Jonathan Crowl deemed SWAT MAPS as a crucial tool for the business. With the ability to offer clients a more complete breakdown of their soils, Crowl found the recommendations to be remarkably more accurate, as well as more cost-effective.


“I am excited to offer my customers cutting-edge soil solutions through the use of the SWAT ECOSYSTEM and show them the value that precision agriculture and variable rate technology can provide for their operation,” said Crowl.


Crowl Agronomy was started up in 2023 with clients in the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles growing crops such as corn, winter wheat, grain sorghum, and cotton. As a young agronomist/crop consultant, Crowl aims to expand his knowledge in the precision agriculture world and fully incorporate the technology into the business.

“My goal is to collect the most precise data possible so I can make the best recommendations possible for my growers,” said Crowl.


Join us in welcoming Crowl Agronomy to our elite network of SWAT MAPS service providers. If you’d like to get in touch, Jonathan Crowl can be reached via the following:

X: @CrowlAgronomy1

Contact:
Jonathan Crowl
806-338-0716
joncrowl20@gmail.com

Fieldwalker Ag: From SWAT MAP to Recommendation to Results

A more tangible approach to digital ag service offerings is at the core of Fieldwalker Agronomy’s business model. Walking fields is where the capturing, mapping, and measuring of differences is found at face value, explains owner Jonathan Zettler.

“The conversations we have with customers is based directly on validating what we see in the field,” says Zettler. “That’s why we call ourselves Fieldwalker; we validate the rates being used in the field by being out there and seeing it for ourselves.”

Fieldwalker Ag was founded in 2018 with a goal of providing profitable advice to clients through three service offerings that focus on the 10,000, 1,000 and 10 foot levels: The Cropwalker Newsletter, crop management services, and SWAT MAPS, the world’s only all-in-one soil foundation map. Located in the corner of Huron, Bruce, Grey and Wellington Counties in Ontario, Zettler has found the area to have high soil pH across many landscapes, which drills down the need to assess the rates in a more practical and economic way for the farmer using informed decisions.

“In order to make informed decisions you need a base layer. That’s why we’re working with Croptimistic Technology and their product SWAT MAPS. Once you have the data you can make the judgment call,” says Zettler. “The maps seem to work well on almost any soil type to help identify field variability and response to crop inputs.”

A Background of Expertise

Zettler has spent hundreds of hours understanding genetic response to landscape position, which is key in understanding crop behaviour when establishing good seeding scripts. Zettler also has significant operations experience combined with agronomy knowledge, so when it comes to having equipment run seamlessly with the maps, it’s easy to talk about what’s most practical.

Fieldwalker Ag structures their services by building a database of the field history. Even without that initial historical data, using SWAT MAPS they can quickly determine where input adjustments are needed across the field, and where flat rate can stay.

“Our clients are looking for the whole agronomy package, and SWAT MAPS helps us deliver that,” Zettler explains. “My goal is to provide profitable advice to my clients, not make work for them.”

Assisting with the Adoption Process

With clients growing a large variety of crops such as edible beans, corn, soybeans, winter wheat, and some even dabbling into forages, Zettler has found use for SWAT MAPS in multiple applications. A highlight noted for Zettler was the ability to take the grower’s journey from taking the SWAT maps order to helping the clients getting the recommendations in the monitor; and it's all done in-house.

As farms continue to upgrade to variable rate planters and drills, Fieldwalker Ag is looking ahead at how they can bring their expertise to farmers looking to take their operation to the next level or begin the adoption process from the get-go.

“We’ve seen a lot of big ‘aha’ moments that is helping drive adoption, as each step of the process has the friction reduced for the client to make it happen,” he says. “Croptimistic is building an entire ecosystem from data collection, recommendation, rate controller to field evaluation. Many programs only complete one step of the process and are unable to tie it all together. This seems to be the missing link to making it all work.”

The SWAT MAPS Team is proud to work alongside passionate, independent agronomy service providers like Fieldwalker Ag. Learn more about their business and what’s happening in their corner by following them on social media or visiting their website:

Twitter: @FieldwalkerAg

Website: https://fieldwalker.ca
Contact:
Jonathan Zettler
519-323-7505
jz@fieldwalker.ca

Farmers: visit https://swatmaps.com/partner-locator/ to find a SWAT MAPS Service Provider near you.

Service providers: Contact us for partnership opportunities.

Croptimistic Technology’s SWAT ECOSYSTEM Receives AgTech Breakthrough Recognition For “AgTech Platform of the Year”

Annual Awards Program Recognizes Innovation in Agricultural & Food Technologies Around the Globe.

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AgTech Breakthrough, a leading market intelligence organization that recognizes the top companies, technologies and products in the global agricultural and food technology markets, today announced that Canadian agriculture technology (AgTech) company Croptimistic Technology Inc., is the recipient of “AgTech Platform of the Year” in the 4th annual AgTech Breakthrough Awards program.


Croptimistic Technology’s SWAT ECOSYSTEM is a comprehensive solution designed to maximize soil and yield potential through an integrated approach combining technology, hardware, and services. The SWATECOSYSTEM is structured around three key components: the foundation, the soil potential process, and the yield potential process.


At its core, the SWAT ECOSYSTEM is supported by Croptimistic's suite of software tools: SWAT RECORDS, SWAT ACADEMY, and SWAT SUPPORT.SWAT RECORDS serves as the central hub, integrating all components of the system. It consolidates SWAT MAPS and files, allowing seamless access for farmers and partners, synchronizes data across platforms without needing cellular or Wi-Fi signals, and connects with global laboratories for automatic data uploads. SWAT ACADEMY provides partners with the education needed to become SWAT CERTIFIED service providers, while SWAT SUPPORT offers valuable resources, including articles and tips, to assist users throughout the ecosystem.


The soil potential process consists of six key steps. It begins with the SWATBOX, an autonomous system that captures high-quality soil data. This data is then processed in SWAT RECORDS to create detailed SWAT MAPS. These maps are verified through ground-truthing in the field to ensure accuracy. Soil samples are collected from various zones to monitor nutrient levels annually, and tailored soil prescriptions are developed in collaboration with local agronomy experts. Comprehensive soil analytics are then performed to optimize crop management and efficiency.


Upon completion of the soil potential process, the yield potential process begins. This involves SWAT WATER, which uses SWAT MAPS and soil moisture data to create detailed soil water maps for guiding irrigation and nutrient application. SWAT CAM provides high-resolution weed and crop maps via a sprayer-mounted camera for early and late crop assessments. Satellite Imagery offers in-season data to refine fungicide and nutrient applications, while Crop Prescriptions utilize real-time data to boost yield potential. Yield Analytics help identify performance issues and develop better future targets. Farms fully integrating SWAT MAPS can achieve SWAT CERTIFIED status, reflecting their commitment to environmental stewardship.

“We are thrilled and honored to receive the ‘AgTech Platform of the Year’ award,” said Cory Willness, CEO of Croptimistic Technology Inc. “This recognition validates our commitment to advancing agricultural technology through innovative solutions. Our team is excited to continue pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in soil and yield management, and we look forward to helping SWAT MAPS farmers and partners achieve even greater success with our cutting-edge tools.”


The mission of the annual AgTech Breakthrough Awards program is to conduct the industry’s most comprehensive analysis and evaluation of agricultural and food technology categories, including Internet-of-Things(IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) based agricultural technologies, farm management, indoor farming, food quality, data analytics and many more. This year's program attracted thousands of nominations from over 15different countries throughout the world.

“Croptimistic’s SWAT MAPS are helping farmers by combining soil, water and topography layers into a single zone map that forms the foundation for variable-rate fertility, planting or irrigation programs. Sustainable and cost-effective farming is essential but the composition of fields has been a bit of a mystery until now making precision a challenge,” said Bryan Vaughn, Managing Director, AgTech Breakthrough. “Croptimistic is solving real-world issues in the agricultural sector through state-of-the-art technology that farmers can rely on, and leading the way in reducing and monitoring environmental impact in the space. We’re thrilled to award them with ‘AgTech Platform of the Year!’”

About AgTech Breakthrough

Part of Tech Breakthrough, a leading market intelligence and recognition platform for global technology innovation and leadership, the AgTech Breakthrough Awards program is devoted to honoring excellence in agricultural & food technologies, services, companies and products around the world. The AgTech Breakthrough Awards program provides a forum for public recognition around the achievements of AgTech companies and solutions in categories including farm management, indoor farming, IoT and robotics, Food Tech, analytics and more. For more information visit
AgTechBreakthrough.com.

Tech Breakthrough LLC does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in our recognition programs, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with award designations. Tech Breakthrough LLC recognition consists of the opinions of the Tech Breakthrough LLC organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Tech Breakthrough LLC disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this recognition program, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

About Croptimistic Technology Inc.
Croptimistic Technology Inc. is an international AgTech company best known for their product SWAT MAPS, a turn-key variable rate solution that prioritizes Soil, Water, and Topography factors of fields for the creation of management zones. Their SWAT RECORDS software powers the entire SWAT ECOSYSTEM of products, all of which are synced with the app forreal-time viewing. To learn more about Croptimistic and the SWATECOSYSTEM, visit www.swatmaps.com.

Bryan Vaughn
AgTech Breakthrough Awards
bryan@agtechbreakthrough.com

SWAT Partner Announcement: Peninsula Precision Ag

In order to harness the potential for uptake of precision ag services on the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia, Matt Correll recently founded his business, Peninsula Precision Ag to do just that. Peninsula Precision Ag is a new independent agronomy company and SWAT MAPS service provider, dedicated to helping producers in South Australia utilize premium precision ag services to further their farming operations.

As an independent agronomist, Correll moved into precision agriculture after exploring software, collecting yield maps and creating prescription applications.

“I was trying to find ways of narrowing down the data into high-definition layers, which is how I stumbled on EC mapping and what SWAT MAPS offers,” said Correll. “In terms of business, the SWAT ECOSYSTEM allows me to rapidly expand my company through the thought-out planning and products that are available to me. The ongoing support will be essential to continue to develop and learn about how precision ag can be applied to the local growing region.”

Correll’s clients in Yorke Peninsula mostly grow wheat, barley, lentils and canola. Due to varying soil types, Correll notes that there is great potential for producers in that region to utilize SWAT MAPS to make more informed decisions for their operations.

“People may not understand it at first, but as soon as they see the maps and we talk through the zones with them, they realize it’s a really well drawn-out map of their paddock,” said Correll. “It’s been interesting to think back in time of where that soil was moved over many decades and the elevation data ties it in perfectly. I’m finding some high EC on the mid-slopes and sometimes the depression is slightly lower, and then sure enough the pH is through the roof on the mid-slope rather than on the depression. Once you cover a lot of paddocks, you start to think ‘where would that water have moved’? You can tell a lot by the topography.”

A local service with experience in precision ag as well as agronomy is an asset to farming operations, and that is exactly the value that Peninsula Precision Ag can provide their clients. Additionally, Correll looks forward to exploring weed management through the use of SWAT CAM and finding more effective herbicides.

“In my partnership with SWAT MAPS, I’m excited to be creating highly detailed maps compared to the traditional grid sampling method. I’m able to further back up my data and find correlations with nutrient availability on calcareous soils,” said Correll. “My agronomy knowledge and experience with precision ag coupled with the premium products and service that SWAT MAPS offers allows me to help my customers make more informed and more profitable decisions.”

The SWAT MAPS team is excited to grow their network of service providers in Australia with the new addition of Peninsula Precision Ag. Please join us in welcoming Matt Correll by following him on Twitter @MattCorrell2.  

Contact:
Matt Correll
0438651622
matt@peninsulaprecisionag.com.au

SWAT Partner Announcement: 4R Farm Insights

The SWAT MAPS team is excited to welcome 4R Farm Insights as a new SWAT MAPS service provider located in Towner, North Dakota.

Owner Mattie Schmitt chose to partner with SWAT MAPS because of the cutting-edge technology that provides enhanced understanding of soil potential. Schmitt explains how the extensive data layers that are collected and utilized is what farmers will benefit from most.

“Having access to comprehensive insights and data layers, and being able to interpret this information accurately, allows me to perform my job at the highest level. The opportunity to optimize operational efficiency and maximize profitability is truly invaluable.”

Having just started up the company in July 2024, 4R Farm Insights has already begun working with clients in the North Central, North Dakota area who commonly grow crops such as hard red spring wheat, durum, barley, corn, canola, soybean, sunflower, field pea, lentil, oat, flax and rye.

A core value of 4R Farm Insights is the ability to provide tailored advice and consulting to align with farmers’ operational goals, helping them navigate complexities in farm management and crop production. Additionally, it is a top priority to assist farmers in setting up and utilizing technology solutions for data capture, ultimately ensuring they can analyze farm and crop production data effectively to make informed decisions, while also delivering high-quality insights derived from detailed analytics of farm and crop production data.

“These insights empower farmers to enhance crop production, improve nutrient management practice, optimize operational efficiency, and maximize profitability,” says Schmitt. “The future is bright and I am very much looking forward to seeing clients explore new technology that will transform their farming operation.”

Join us in welcoming 4R Farm Insights to our elite network of SWAT MAPS service providers. If you’d like to get in touch, Mattie Schmitt can be reached via the following:

Website: https://4rfarminsights.com/

X: @4RFarmInsights

Facebook: 4R Farm Insights

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattie-schmitt  

Contact:
Mattie Schmitt
701-833-4316
mattie@4rfarminsights.com

Cost-Effective Farming: Advantages of Variable Rate Applications

Variable rate technology is becoming more commonplace in the ag community, yet the adoption rate is still relatively slow. Farmers and agronomists are realizing that a soil-based foundation layer like SWAT MAPS is critical for success. As a result, the industry is seeing a transition from square grid-based sampling to more accurate soil-based zone sampling that matches the actual field landscape variability.

Understanding Variable Rate Applications
Variable rate refers to the practice of adjusting the rate of input applications based on specific variables such as soil type, soil nutrient supply, and crop nutrient requirements. By mapping and understanding the variability of these attributes within your field, you can take advantage of the technology to apply inputs at the right rate and in the right place.

SWAT MAPS provides the framework to collect data about a field which is used by an agronomist to determine the optimal rate of seed and fertilizer for each area of a field. This targeted approach ensures that resources are used efficiently and reduces the risk of over- or under-application.

The SWAT MAPS Difference
Soil, Water, and Topography (SWAT) MAPS are high-resolution soil foundation maps used to execute variable rate fertilizer, seed, soil amendment, pesticide, or precision water management. They are created using a patented process and each map is made up of ten different management zones, called SWAT zones. Using SWAT MAPS gives you the ability to address variations in soil nutrient levels and plant available water across your fields. By adjusting the rate of seed and fertilizer application based on these variations, you can ensure that each area of the field receives the necessary nutrients for optimal crop growth. These precise resource allocations can lead to improved crop yields and reduced environmental impact.

Optimized Input Allocation
These days, farm input prices are very high, so it is becoming even more critical to not waste them. By applying these inputs in varying amounts based on soil, water, and topography characteristics, you can optimize your input allocation (see Figure 1). This leads to increased efficiency, reduced waste, and cost savings, making it an essential tool for economic and environmental sustainability.
For example, in figure 1, populations are based on the soils’ ability to support a given corn population due to varying water holding capacity. Nutrients like potash, phosphate, and zinc are applied at higher rates in zones 1 to 4 where the soil supply is low. Nitrogen rates are highest in zones 3-6 where expected yield is high and soil N supply is expected to be relatively low.

Figure 1. SWAT MAPS recommendation report showing different seed and fertilizer rates for different zones. Multiple applications are shown on a single report for demonstration purpose.

Soil Potential + Genetic Potential
Matching corn populations to the soil potential – a combination of nutrient supplying power and water availability – is a powerful tool to make the most of your hybrids’ genetics. There’s no value in pushing high populations in a part of the landscape that can’t support it, but in areas that can…take advantage of that potential!

In beans, matching populations to expected growth habits can proactively help manage diseases like white mold. Populations can be reduced in high growth potential zones to mitigate excessive canopy cover, and increased in areas where they struggle with row closure!

Environmental Sustainability
Excessive application of nutrients can lead to nutrient runoff in water bodies, causing harmful algal blooms and negatively impacting aquatic ecosystems. However, by implementing variable rate applications, you can ensure that your fertilizer is only applied to the necessary SWAT zones and at the right rates, reducing the risk of nutrient runoff and minimizing environmental impact.

SWAT MAPS products can also help conserve water resources. By analyzing soil moisture data and adjusting irrigation scheduling accordingly, you can optimize irrigation water use using variable rate irrigation technology.

If you would like to further discuss how variable rate might benefit your farm specifically, please connect with us at support@swatmaps.com.