Our Mission: to assist Irish farmers to achieve maximum success and prosperity by providing them with scientifically-based soil nutrient management solutions.
Our Intelligent Farming Approach: to lower agricultural production cost, to optimize yields, to protect farm land, and to maximize grower’s profit by employing state-of-the-art precision agriculture technologies.
Contact us:
e-mail: soilmanager@hotmail.com ; phone: 087-415-1843 or 085-240-7668.

About Us

Gorey, Wexford, Ireland

Friday, December 4, 2009

Nitrogen Use Efficiency - Agronomy and Biotechnology

Precision Ag Solutions - Ireland

Hungry and Naked - That's Where We'd Be Without Agriculture!
Proper mineral nutrition is vital for realizing full yield potential of any crop. Irish producers are facing with challenges of identifying the best nitrogen fertilizer rates as well as the best time of fertilizer application. Currently, only 1/3 of all applied N is utilized by crops, while the other 2/3 are simply lost from the soil causing water pollution, posing danger to marine life, as well as human health. Apart from negative environmental impact, the loss of 2/3 of nitrogen ultimately represents the loss of 2/3 of money that crop producers spent on fertilizer.

Nitrogen use efficiency has 2 components, that are probably equally important:
  • The first component is to do with how efficient are nitrogen fertilizer management strategies employed by the producers. This component is dependent on whether the rate of applied fertilizer is appropriate for the crop grown - whether or not the rate is able to match crops need for nitrogen.
  • The second component is associated with the ability of the crop to uptake (absorb from the soil) and to utilize (convert absorbed nitrogen into yield) supplied nitrogen.
While significant advances has been achieved in identifying genes associated with higher nitrogen use efficiency in several crop (mainly wheat, corn, rice, and some horticultural crops), it will take years until highly nitrogen use efficient varieties are released for wide use among crop producers. It is natural to expect that these varieties will be considerably more expensive compared to those currently used by farmers. Thus, developing of highly nitrogen efficient crops has to be seen as a promising long-term goal.
Meanwhile, the importance of efficient agricultural practices and wise fertilization techniques must be considered as the main solution to increasing nitrogen use efficiency, and thus, cutting fertilizer inputs.
Precision Ag Solutions have developed Intelligent Farming Program especially for Irish growers interested in making their farming operations more efficient and cost-effective. Attending our Intelligent Farming Workshop is a great opportunity to share your farming experiences with with other producers, and make contacts. But most importantly obtain valuable information on how to use your resources wisely and how to save significant amount of money on fertilizer and chemicals without compromising yields.
Precision Agriculture offers fantastic opportunities to any crop producer who wants to be successful and prosperous even in tough financial times!
Please contact our Precision Agriculture specialists by email: soilmanager@hotmail.com, or by phone: 087-415-1843, 085-240-7668.

Challenges in Slurry Application to Winter Crops

Precision Ag Solutions - Ireland

Hungry and Naked - That's Where We'd Be Without Agriculture!
Two major challenges associated with slurry application to winter crops are: 1. Variability of nutrients present in the slurry. %N, %P, %K can vary dramatically between the loads.
2. Application of slurry in the fall results in extremely low nutrient use efficiency. Typical nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency is approximately 33%, meaning that almost 70% of all N applied to agricultural fields is not being utilized by the crops but being lost from the soil through run off, leaching, and volatilization. The "lost" nutrients end up in the lakes, rivers and oceans causing eutrophication, as well as in the atmosphere contributing to global warming.
What solutions can be offered to solve these problems? First of all, testing slurry for nutrient content prior to spreading is vital for estimating whether the applied amount of slurry provides adequate mineral nutrition to the developing crop. Also, while nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency is approximately 33% worldwide, nutrient use efficiency is significantly lower when slurry is used as a source compared to commercial fertilizers. A field study conducted in 2006 by research scientists fro Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences showed that 60% nitrogen use efficiency was achieved using ammonium nitrate compared to only 35% using pig slurry. While 38% phosphorus use efficiency was observed with calcium hydroxyl phosphate, only 6 to 9% phosphorus use efficiency was achieved with pig slurry.
Knowing the exact nutrient content of slurry and applying slurry at the appropriate rate and at the right time, can help to utilize slurry more efficiently even for winter crops.
How to determine the appropriate nutrient rate??? and what is the right time for fertilizer application???
Precision Ag Solutions encourage growers to attend Intelligent Farming Workshops! These one-day workshops are packed with valuable information that help farmers to make their farming operations more efficient. Our Precision Agriculture specialists will explain how detailed nutrient management plans can be created on field-by-field basis. The main aim of the workshops is to encourage discussion about challenges that growers are facing and to offer practical and inexpensive solutions to these challenges. Irish farming community is ready for Precision Agriculture! Farmers all over the world are using Precision Agriculture technologies to their advantage and our goal at Precision Ag Solutions is to deliver these technologies to Irish producers. We believe that --- Hungry and Naked - That's Where We'd Be Without Agriculture! ---This is why we are dedicated to serving Irish farmers and to help them achieve success and prosperity.
To find out more about our Intelligent Farming Program and Intelligent Farming Workshops, please contact us by e-mail: soilmanager@hotmail.com; or by phone: 087-415-1843, 085-240-7668.



Can Input Costs Be Cut Without Compromising Yields?

Precision Ag Solutions - Ireland
Hungry and Naked - That's Where We'd Be Without Agriculture!
Irish farming community is facing difficult challenges. The rising input costs coupled with virtually static prices mean that dramatic changes must be made in the next growing season, to ensure a margin for farmers! Irish Farmers Journal's (IFJ) Darragh Mullin underlined that while the input costs have risen by 40% since 2000, the prices stayed the same. With this in mind, many growers are questioning whether it even make sense to plant cereals for the next season... Calculating the input costs is absolutely vital in budgeting your farm operations!
Andy Doyle (IFJ) challenged farmers to answer these questions in order to make their budget more realistic: 1. Farmers were forced to cut their inputs year after year - can they still afford to do so without compromising grain yields? 2. Does the land really need all the fertilizer that is applied year after year? 3. Are some fields not worthwhile farming?
Precision Ag Solutions have clear answers to these questions!
1. Yes, farmers had to cut down on their input costs over the years. However, a farmer can make the right farm management decisions if he knows more about the land he farms (including soil fertility levels) and crop condition (plant stand and crop yield potential).
2. The question should be not whether the land needs the applied fertilizer, but rather - whether the crop needs it! We do not have the luxury, nor are reckless enough, to feed the soil, rather then the crop!
3. We believe that all the fields are worthwhile farming, as long as it is done efficiently, and management decisions are made on field-by-field basis!

Presicion Ag Solutions have the technology and the expertize to help farmers make more efficient farm management decisions! We are dedicated to support Irish farming community whether producers are in need of professional advise, or training!
Whether the growers need to decrease their input costs (fertilizer, herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, growth regulators, fuel, time, labor), or they wish to minimize the impact of their farm operations on the environment (fertilizer run-off, leaching, volatilization), or they want to increase the efficiency of applied nutrients and chemicals, Precision Ag Solutions have the technology and experience to provide a practical, fast and inexpensive solution to any and all of these challenges!
Intelligent Farming Program has been especially developed by Precision Ag Solutions to cater to all Irish farmers needs. We encourage all the producers to attend our Intelligent Farming Workshops and to learn how our Precision Agriculture experts can help you to dramatically cut input costs, maximize grain yields, and optimize profits while protecting the farm land.
Please, contact us by e-mail: soilmanager@hotmail.com; or by phone: 087-415-1843, or 085-240-7668.

Monday, November 30, 2009

Precision Agriculture Works!

Precision Ag Solutions - Ireland
Hungry and Naked - That's Where We'd Be Without Agriculture!

Irish farming community is in urgent need of fast, inexpensive and efficient solutions to challenges they are facing every day. Precision Ag Solutions is here for all Irish producers to offer them expert advise on how to manage their agricultural operations more efficient. There are many ways to improve on farming techniques currently used in Ireland. For instance, the efficiency of nitrogen fertilizer use is approximately 30%! This means that over 70% of all fertilizer applied is not being used by the crop, but instead being lost from the plant-soil system. The main cause of nutrient loss in Ireland is leaching, the nutrients are washed out from the soil due to heavy and prolonged rainfalls. Attending one of our workshops will help producers to learn how to feed the crop, not the soil. Intelligent Farming Program has been especially developed to assist Irish producers who are looking for ways to become financially stable and who want to learn how to produce margin in these difficult financial times.
For those who are interested in attending our workshops or just in need of expert advise, please contact : Dr. Olga Walsh; telephone: 087-415-1843; e-mail: soilmanager@hotmail.com.

Great Offer - Intelligent Farming Workshops!

Precision Ag Solutions - Ireland
Hungry And Naked - That's Where We'd Be Without Agriculture!
Central Statistics Office reported a total annual farm income of 2,312 million euro in 2008. With a total of 128,300 farms in Ireland, this means that average annual income per farm was miserable 18,000 euro. With the end of REPS and continuously increasing prices of fuel, fertilizers, and chemicals, the input costs for Irish farmers are extremely high. But we at Precision Ag Solutions have the technologies and expertize to help farmers manage their land more efficiently! We are committed to provide information and services that would ensure dramatic decrease in input costs!
What is Intelligent Farming Workshop? It is a one-day workshop set-up in a discussion manner, that encourages interaction between the participants. It is a fun way to meet other local producers and crop consultants, to share your farming experiences and obtain new contacts. But most importantly, attending the workshop you will learn how to make more informed decisions about crop management. Our precision agriculture experts will explain how detailed soil nutrient management plans can be tailored to your farm. We will offer you several precision agriculture solutions for soil testing, farm mapping, which will allow you to create management zones. We will teach you how to create a highly efficient fertilization schedule based on your crop's need for nutrients. Irish farming community is ready for precision agriculture! At Intelligent Farming Workshop you will find out how to get the most out of your land and will learn how to produce a margin during these difficult financial times.
Great Offer: Refer a friend/colleague to participate in one of our workshops and get 25% off your Intelligent Farming Workshop fee!
Also, all Irish producers are encouraged to take advantage of our Free Advise service! Just e-mail or call us with any farming-related questions and our Precision Agriculture Experts will help you Free of charge! Time is money - We offer you our time and our expertise for Free!!!

Please contact us: Dr. Olga Walsh, telephone: 087-413-1843; e-mail: soilmanager@hotmail.com.

Save Money with Intelligent Farming Program

Precision Ag Solutions - Ireland
Hungry and Naked - That's Where We'd Be Without Agriculture!
Intelligent Farming Workshops offered nationwide by Precision Ag Solutions are aimed to provide Irish agricultural producers with comprehensive information about how precision agriculture techniques can be used at heir farm. Producers will find out how to make their farming operations more effective, how to manage their land more efficiently. The workshops will outline Intelligent Farming Program created by our precision agriculture experts especially for Irish producers.
  • Do you want to know how much your crop will yield this year? Using patented scientifically-based optical sensing technology, our precision agriculture experts will provide you with an accurate yield potential prediction just a few months after sowing!
  • Do you want to know how much fertilizer your crop really needs? Do you want to save money on fertilizer application (on average 35 euro per hectare, or approximately 1,000 euro per average size farm of 30 hectares)? Our precision agriculture experts will use optical sensing technology and crop-specific software to determine the exact crop need for nitrogen!
  • Do you want to save up to 80% on chemicals, herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, growth regulators, while also saving your time and fuel? Our experts will help you do this by employing computerized real-time variable rate applicator!
  • Do you want to know the exact boundaries of high-yielding/problem areas within your field? We will create high-quality GPS-based vegetation maps using optical sensing technology.
For more information about Intelligent Farming Workshops and how to take part in our Intelligent Farming Program please contact Precision Ag Solutions, Dr. Olga Walsh, telephone: 087-415-1843; e-mail: soilmanager@hotmail.com;