A FULL-service crop nutrition program for growers at the frontier of production efficiency has been launched by one of the country's leading fertiliser companies.
CSBP Detect Plus combines soil and plant sampling and analysis, in-season nitrogen testing and season-end grain analysis for a complete picture of crop nutrition.
The idea behind the new program was simple - make crop nutrition simple.
With market conditions, including the price of inputs being at an all-time high, growers need to have confidence in their fertiliser decisions so they can manage risks and make data-driven decisions for optimised returns.
Detect Plus works by giving growers the information they need, when they need it.
CSBP takes care of sampling, analysis and recommendations, providing multiple data-based updates throughout the season for growers to adjust their fertiliser plan if necessary.
CSBP senior digital agricultural specialist Douglas Hamilton said pre-season, the team examined historic cropping program performance using the DecipherAg tool to create a CSBP Detect Plus sampling plan that was representative of the crops' variability in performance.
"Soil sampling and analysis optimises the fertiliser plan to meet paddock and crop need, while plant analysis throughout the season monitors nutrient uptake and helps spot growth problems early," Mr Hamilton said
"Real-time nitrogen status is measured at regular intervals throughout the season with CSBP Detect which provides nitrogen recommendations in real-time.
"Grain analysis and a nutrient removal audit at the end of the season identifies nutrient deficiencies, measures nutrient removal and feeds into next season's fertiliser program."
CSBP Detect, which is subject to global patent applications and available exclusively to CSBP customers, is the key component behind the program.
Following five years of local development and testing, including pilots during the 2020 and 2021 growing season, Detect provides a unique combination of spectroscopy and machine learning to measure plant nitrogen status and provide nitrogen recommendations in real-time.
CSBP services and development manager Grey Johnston said they had 132 customers participate in the 2021 pilot program with grower feedback and season outcomes demonstrating its value in supporting growers' decision-making.
"The pilots demonstrated the importance of combining in-season nitrogen status with more traditional soil and plant analyses to provide a rounded view of plant nutrition and develop an optimal fertiliser recommendation," Mr Johnston said.
"The success of the development and testing work means that CSBP Detect is being introduced commercially as part of CSBP Detect Plus."
Detect Plus provides a complete picture of crop nutrition.
By combining the full suite of CSBP's recommendation tools, it enables limiting factors to achieve optimal yield and protein levels to be identified and addressed, sustainably optimising returns for growers.
Having invested in crop science and digital solutions for more than 50 years, CSBP views Detect Plus as the next stage of the journey to help growers manage risk and make efficient fertiliser application decisions with confidence.
"It brings decades of field trial learnings to your paddock, with data frequently gathered and analysed throughout the year so you always have the information at your fingertips to make an informed decision," Mr Hamilton said.
Detect Plus is available exclusively to a limited number of CSBP customers and is priced from $4.80 per hectare.
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