Farmmaps UK > Apps > Application

A Growth model for potato

Wageningen Plant Research (WUR)

Contact: Pepijn van Oort

E-mail: pepijn.vanoort@wur.nl

Link to appstore: http://farmmaps.eu/nl/editor/plan

Price: €250 ex BTW

Tipstar is a crop growth model for potatoes. Tipstar simulates the growth of roots, leaves, stems and tubers. The Tipstar widget is visible on every field where potatoes are grown. Tipstar calculates the current growth and gives a forecast for the rest of the growing season. For the current growth, the crop registration, weather data, soil data and crop parameters are included. The forecast for the rest of the season is based on 30 years of historical weather. In addition, the model calculates the potential yield for the plot, the situation without water and nitrogen shortages. Avoid nitrogen leaching and denitrification by starting with a lower nitrogen application and giving the crop what it really needs with one or two extra applications. Use the VRA top dress N app to calculate a location-specific nitrogen dose. You achieve a higher yield, a more even sorting and that with less nitrogen.

The model calculates with soil type, weather and farm management. The cultivar grown, the planting-, emergence- and harvest date, root depth, water and nitrogen balance influence the yield. Because Tipstar uses weather data from the past 30 years to forecast the weather through the end of the season, it will show a "plume" of yield predictions.

Tipstar is a powerful tool for several reasons:

• Yield gap calculation: Tipstar calculates both the actual yield and the highest achievable yield if water and nitrogen do not limit growth. Use this to calculate the yield gap and how much extra water and/or nitrogen is needed to close it.

• Alerts: The application warns if the crop threatens to become water or nitrogen deficient. Set the threshold values of your alert yourself and how many days in advance you want to be warned before a shortage occurs

• Save nitrogen: Tipstar helps to use less nitrogen and achieve more profit (€/ha). Use less nitrogen when planting and fertilize optimally later. Avoid unnecessary leaching and denitrification.

• Save water: Add irrigation and you can see the effect and decide what to do. For example, towards the end of the season, the demand for water for crops will generally decrease, so that irrigation is not necessary. It can help you to increase water use efficiency and profit (€/ha).

• Explore possibilities: Change cultivars with different earliness, apply irrigation and fertilization and see the effect on your yield and make the right decisions.

• Clear statistics: look at water and nitrogen use, nitrogen losses to the environment and the efficiency of your crop.

• Topdress N: If you need to perform a nitrogen top dressing, jump directly from this application to the nitrogen top dress application and calculate a task map to only apply nitrogen to those places in your field where it is needed.

You can connect Tipstar to your Farm Management System (AgroVision, Dacom). This way you only have to enter information once. It is also possible to connect to Eurofins to obtain the nitrogen supply in the spring (when samples have been taken).