We designed Arvorum to help you make the best use of your resources and save products by bringing a new level of precision into your farming operations. With Arvorum, you can create fertilisation maps adjusted to your equipment based on up to ten biomass, yield, or soil maps.
You can see how the map preview changes in real-time when you adjust the parameters to ensure that the maps are exactly as accurate as you need.
In this article, we explain how to create a fertilisation map. Follow the instructions or go directly to the section of your interest:
- How to begin
- Step 1 - Select base maps
- Step 2 - The fertiliser
- Step 3 - Choosing machinery and adjusting parameters
How to begin
1. Log in to Arvorum and click on the field you want to create a fertilisation map for.
2. In the Maps section, click the + Add button and select Fertilisation map.
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Tip: You can also open the list of biomass maps and select one as a base for your fertilisation map. To do so, click Show all, click 3 dots next to the map preview, and select Create Fertilisation map. |
Step 1: Select base maps
1. You can select up to 10 different maps that should serve as a base for a fertilisation map. You can use biomass maps provided by Arvorum or upload your soil and yield maps.
Click + Biomass map, + Yield map, or + Soil map to open the lists of available maps. Then, click on the map preview to select it as a base map.
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Tip: If you want to use only the most accurate biomass maps, you can turn on the Show clean images option. You will then see only those maps that have less than 5% of cloud coverage. |
2. By default, each base map contributes an equal amount of data to the fertilisation map. However, you can adjust the proportion of data taken from each base map according to your preferences. Click Prioritise maps and follow on-screen instructions or go to the dedicated article.
3. Decide how many fertilisation zones your map should have.
Each zone will have a different amount of fertiliser applied to it, depending on the biomass vitality of that area. You will be able to adjust the difference between zones later in Step 2 or choose the precise amount of the base nutrient for each of them in Step 3.
You can choose between 3, 5, 7, and 9 zones. Here you can see how fertilisation maps differ depending on the zone number:
4. Click the toggle to create an additional headland zone - the strip of land around your field used for machine turning. Then, enter the Widht in the input window. You will see the headland (light green) on the map preview.
5. You can also edit the tramlines orientation. To do so, click the Change Tramlines orientation toggle and set the orientation by moving the green circle on the map or entering the degrees.
6. To proceed, click the Next: Fertiliser details button.
Step 2: Fertiliser type
1. Select the fertiliser you are going to use. You can choose between organic and manufactured fertilisers - or add your own.
The fertilisers that you will see on the list depend on the region of your farm.
2. Each fertiliser on the list has a specific concentration of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P2O5), and potassium (K2O) that is displayed below its name. If you need, you can adjust these values by typing a different number into the box.
3. Choose if your fertiliser is liquid or solid. For liquid fertilisers, we will also ask you to provide their density (in kilograms per litre).
4. Pick your fertilisation strategy. You can choose between assimilation and differentiation. Choose Assimilate if you want to apply more fertiliser to those areas of your field where the biomass vitality is lower. If you wish to apply more fertiliser to the high productivity zones, choose Differentiate.
5. Select the base of your fertiliser. The total amount of fertiliser will be calculated based on the concentration of that nutrient. You can choose from:
- nitrogen (N)
- phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5)
- potassium oxide (K2O).
6. Enter the target amount of your base nutrient (in kilograms per hectare).
7. In the Intensity section, you can decide how much the target value of the base nutrient should differ between the highest and lowest intensity zones and the average (middle) zone. The intensity is expressed in percentage - so if you set it to 10%, the highest intensity zone will require 110% of the base nutrient, and the lowest intensity zone - 90%
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Example: you have decided to create a map with five different zones and set the nutrient target value of 50 kilograms and the 10% intensity. That means the average (middle) zone will require 50 kilograms of the base nutrient, while for the other zones these values will equal 55 kg (for the highest intensity zone), 52,5 kg, 47,5 kg, and 45 kg (for the lowest intensity zone). |
8. Decide what is the minimum biomass vitality value for the fertiliser to be applied.
9. Below, you can see how much fertiliser you will need to apply on your field based on the created map:
If you want to know its total costs, you can use the Cost calculator - click on the icon and enter the price per kilogram.
10. Once you have finished, click the button Next: Adjust parameters to go to the last step.
Step 3 - Machinery and parameters
1. Choose a machine that will be used to fertilise your field (a sprayer or a spreader) from the list, or add a new one. You will see how the map adjusts to the working width of your equipment.
2. Under the N-Balance tab, you can set an optional nitrogen limit. We will then calculate how much nitrogen has been applied to your field so far (during the previous fertilisations) and if the current application fits within that range.
3. Below you can see the list of all the zones and their target value of the base nutrient. You can leave the values that we have calculated (based on Intensity) or enter a different value. To do so, click on the number and set it manually.
4. Use the Repaint areas option if you want to edit the map and, for example, exclude some parts of your field so the fertiliser won't be applied there. Mark the area manually by clicking on the map. Next, select the color representing the zone. Hover over the color samples to see the exact values they represent.
5. Next, click the button Save fertilisation map. Enter the map name and click Save.
All done! Now you see the summary of map parameters. You can export the map to your terminal or as a .pdf file. To display more information, click the Details button. If you want to apply changes to your map, click Edit.
To add the application date, click the button Add application. You can add several dates. They will be displayed in the map details view.
You can also copy the application strategy and use it on other fields.