Managing Risk with Provantage
By: Bill Parchert, Agronomy Resource Manager
With the current state of agricultural markets, helping our customers manage risk in a high-risk environment is more important now than ever. Thankfully, through advancements in technology, we have tools to do just that. ProVantage is our in-depth data analysis program that helps maximize efficiency by managing fields at the sub-field level.
ProVantage is unique when compared to other precision ag programs. On top of the numerous variable rate nutrient and seeding rate configurations, 322 points of data collection and storage, the power of ProVantage is found in its analytics. Although technology is a major part of the program, we simplify your data into digestible and actionable information. This combined with our relationship with you and your operation helps us work together to achieve your goals.
The process starts by analyzing 60’ x 60’ management cells within your fields. Through grid soil sampling, years of yield history, multiple layers of agronomic data and grower knowledge, we can segment areas of the field as high (A), medium (B) and low (C) productivity zones. These zones allow us to allocate inputs accordingly. By managing inputs based on soil productivity at the cell level, we can spread fixed costs over more bushels for an overall lower cost per bushel. For example, minimizing inputs on less productive acres (C zones) allows growers to allocate their investments to more productive areas (A zones). Small areas of “learning blocks” are set up inside the zones to validate the prescriptions that are used.
Managing fields at the sub-field level is just a fraction of what ProVantage can do. As harvest wraps up, we analyze performance by management zones, individual fields, and a grower’s overall operation. Together, we can utilize all of your data collected with in-depth post-harvest reports to reveal yield impacting factors.
ProVantage is also unique in its community of data. Your data will be added anonymously into a community pool (tens of thousands of acres) of your peers. Together we can compare your operation’s data to the local or regional community. Regardless if you are comparing your own operation to itself from previous years, or the ProVantage group, you can guarantee it’s relevant to our area. All this data, on an individual and group basis, gives us the power to deliver insight and direction for the upcoming crop year.
The cost analysis tool, a newer feature to the ProVantage program, merges agronomics and economics at the next level. You can now track costs spatially to determine cost per bushel. This add-on tool gives growers the power to pinpoint production costs down to per bushel by zone as well as per acre,
field or farm.
Stutsman’s tradition has always been to serve customers for success. With ProVantage, we can utilize innovation to uphold our tradition. Let our team help you put your data to work as a decision-making tool.