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Sentera worth it?
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gwagner
Posted 4/18/2019 21:08 (#7447151 - in reply to #7446426)
Subject: RE: Sentera worth it?



Sentera today is not the same Sentera of old even though some of the members are the same…totally different business model totally different outlook. To say you had a bad experience with the “old company” is one thing but to say this about the current company is like comparing apples to oranges and you should be careful how you handle a company’s reputation.

I am going to answer your ROI question with a different question. Probably you or a family member you know completed a college education. Today that education can easily cost a student between $80 to $120,000. it took between 4 to 5 years to complete. “Where’s the ROI?” Now I ask the question; a student entering this school as a freshman vs. a student who has completed their education, are their thinking skills the same? Do they look at problems the same? “Where’s the ROI”

The perceived reason for this education is obtain a better job and a better life style. Is this a good enough ROI? You don’t know to you apply your knowledge.

I have been using a yield monitor in 1993. “Where’s my ROI?” it didn’t happen the first couple of years to understand what was happening on the different fields. In 2018 I completed my 26th year collecting yield data…over the years I have learn so much on each and every field that I could right my Master thesis.

I started using Satellite images in 1997, low res 30 meter data. We learned that our sugarbeet tops stored a tremendous amount of nitrogen and 70% (upwards to 300#/ac) or better of that nutrient was released for the next crop. By leaf analysis correlation to the NIR band of energy that gave us maps to VRT our nitrogen the following year. And yes we started VRT in 1997. Easily saving 20% to 30% on N usage. Great ROI...right??

In 2006 and again in 2007 we worked with John Deere in a research project to see if we could detect Iron Chlorsis in our soybeans. We did several hundred acres of strips of Iron Chelate, plant populations, and competition with a companion crop. John Deere used aerial high resolution imagery to detect these problem areas. In 2016 we used our drone to map these same fields John Deere had flown. Found these same patterns still existed. Since 2006 till today we use VRT to spot apply Soygreen on these regions to mitigate the effects of the Chlorsis. If we didn’t have the data from 2006 how would we know if we were on the right track?? ROI?? (dead soybean plants vs. 40+bus/ac)

When I started using these previously talked about technologies it took a number of years to prove the importance. Maybe drones are not the complete answer. The 10 meter (ESA's two European Remote Sensing (ERS) satellites, ERS-1 and –2) are images that are free and I can get almost weekly. Last year I could predict within 10% my final yield on many of my fields 6 to 7 weeks before harvest. I am now finding; using Satellite images as my high level scouting tool and my drone to fly my detailed scouting is working very well.

Don’t quickly disregard this technology because it is difficult to use or understand. You will be surprised to see what your crops really look like at 400’.

gary
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