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Euralis Adopts Farmstar to Opt...
Euralis Adopts Farmstar to Optimise Crop Production
Airbus provide regular and reliable agronomic guidelines for 2,100 hectares of wheat and rape fields for the Euralis cooperative. Optimized inputs for higher yields, improved wheat protein levels and reduced costs.
Challenge
Euralis, a farming cooperative based in South-West France, was in search of a solution for its farmers to optimise their production and improve crop yields. It also wanted to support them in the discovery and management of new species. This required regular monitoring of crop lands and reliable agronomic guidelines.
Our solution
Airbus proposed its decision tool Farmstar for the 2014-2015 crop year and beyond. The aim was to provide farmers with appropriate guidelines to improve management of fertilizer input and better protect crops from seeding through to Harvest.
This Farmstar campaign resulted in the acquisition of some twenty cloud-free satellite images between December 2014 and May 2015, very easily obtained by the SPOT satellites thanks to their high agility and daily revisit capability. Their 1.5 metre resolution and 60km swath mean they are excellent assets for farming applications. The agronomic reports supplied on key dates by Farmstar result from a unique combination of remote sensing and agronomic expertise, and make lighter work for farmers in managing their crops. These guidelines can be imported into tractor mounted modulators to automatically control inputs during spraying.
Benefits
The accuracy and reliability of Farmstar guidelines make it a real Decision Support System (DSS) which can also be used tojustify nitrogen amounts to the authorities. Thanks to Farmstar, Euralis wheat yields have exceeded average local levels by 10-15% (7- 11 quintals per hectare), which represents €145 to €225 of additional revenue per hectare. Similarly, the wheat protein level has increased by 0.8 points from the cooperative’s average level. Finally, savings of 10% on for wheat and 17% for rape compared to previous years has reduced environmental impact and lowered costs for farmers. During the first year of Farmstar use at Euralis, 110 farmers subscribed for an equivalent of 2,100 hectares, a surface area that should double over the next year.
Organisations involved
- Euralis is a farming cooperative based in Lescar, in the South-West of France
- Institut du Végétal is a research organisation and a leading player in French
- (ex-CETIOM) is a French technical institute responsible for research and development for agriculture. It specialises in oil and protein crops.
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