Sensor

An innovation with a big future: the CROP-Meter from Agrocom uses a pendulum to record the differences within a standing crop, simply and with high resolution. The CROP-Meter thus gathers information for optimum application of fertilizers and plant protection products and stem stabilisers.

The variability of natural location factors, effects of tillage and climatic conditions cause big differences in crop development on farmland. Nitrogen fertilisation and certain plant protection measures need to be more closely matched to local crop requirements.

The DLG award-winning CROP-Meter enables biomass differences to be recorded by measuring the swing of a pendulum. CROP-Meter measurements are therefore particularly useful as a control variable for precision application of products, including:

The intention is not for CROP-Meter to make the decisions instead of the farmer. However, CROP-Meter makes thinking and acting in terms of specific areas very simple. The measures are established by the farmer or advisers in situ for two different crop situations and transferred to the whole field with the aid of pendulum measurements.

Economic efficiency coupled with sustainability

Solid research findings testify to the economic efficiency of using CROP-Meter. It enables farmers to increase the effectiveness and sustainability of mineral nitrogen application and some plant protection products.  At the same time, it offers good conditions for rapid amortisation of the investment in sensor-assisted technology.