Grain Guide 2017

61 / 146

of the leaves of the crop) in the crop are
used for this purpose. The sensors measure
the colour of the leaves of the crop and the
application system decides on the basis of the
green colour spectrum of the leaves to apply,
for example, nitrogen differentially according
to pre-programmed parameters.
Weed sprays can also be equipped with sen-
sors to identify weed plants in order to spray
only where the weed is present. An example
of this technology involves four-wheeled robots
moving through vineyards and identifying the
weeds with the aid of video cameras and
then spraying only the weed with a small
herbicide sprayer.
If pests occur only in certain areas of a field,
those areas can sometimes be identified by
way of remote sensing, or by physically scout-
ing the field and capturing the area with the
aid of a GPS.
Martiens du Plessis, manager:
Precision Farming, NWK Limited
55 GRAANGIDS 2017 GRAIN GUIDE
Where does one start with precision farming?
Continued from p. 53
Problems with after-sales service
If members of Grain SA receive poor after-sales service from mechanisation dealers,
they can contact Corné Louw, senior economist: Inputs, Grain SA, or Grain SA
at 086 004 7246.
PRECISION FARMING SUPPLIERS IN SA
It is not always that easy to reach the right person quickly when you work with big companies.
Below is a list of the contact details of the main suppliers in order to make the search for precision
farming systems and services a little easier:
Company Contact person Number Email
John Deere Vikar Sheopershad 071 461 3996
New Holland SA Rudi du Toit 073 081 8279
Northmec Rudi du Toit 073 081 8279
Raven Jaco Stemmet 082 771 7541
Ronin Precision Steven Deysel 011 608 3666
Farming Systems
(Trimble en Hanno Truter 082 319 2301
DICKEY-John) Jaco Viviers 071 763 1797
Sitech Southern Hanno Truter 082 319 2301 of
Africa
Topcon Christo Helm 083 233 5497
Jim Rankin, Agfacts