BCG releases crop forecasting app for farmers

Successful on-line crop forecasting tool Yield Prophet® now has its own app.

Launched by Birchip Cropping Group (BCG) on June 12, the Yield Prophet Lite app is a free tool that lets farmers estimate their potential crop yields based on forecast rainfall probabilities for the rest of the season.

BCG Yield Prophet co-ordinator Tim McClelland said the app, which had been developed in partnership with CSIRO, uses data from the Bureau of Meteorology’s highly-regarded POAMA/ACCESS seasonal forecasting system to predict how the season might finish and likely crop yields.

“The app can be used to help farmers to work out their potential yield and how much fertiliser is needed to meet that target,” he said.

The app can be run at any time during the growing season. All growers need to do is specify their crop type (wheat, barley, canola or oats), select the closest Bureau of Meteorology weather station, and input some quick details about rainfall, starting soil nitrogen, water and carbon, and any nitrogen applications.

The app will then calculate a range of water and nitrogen-limited yield potentials for your crop, and tell you the likelihood of different future rainfall amounts for the rest of the growing season.

“Yield Prophet Lite is quite simple to use,” Mr McClelland said.

“It calculates yield potential from stored soil water, growing season rainfall, evaporation and the crop’s water use efficiency, based on an updated version of the well-known French and Schultz formula.”

Yield Prophet Lite has been developed from the Yield Prophet on-line platform which has the ability to generate reports for individual paddocks detailing real-time crop progress and potential according to the moisture and nutrient status of the soil.

“Yield Prophet Lite gives growers a taste of what a full Yield Prophet subscription can offer,” Mr McClelland said.

“It’s a tool that backs up your gut-feel with hard data, to help you make the right business decisions.”

The Yield Prophet Lite app for iPads can be downloaded from the iTunes store. Android, iPhone and PC users can use the app via the web at: http://www.yieldprophet.com.au/yplite.

For more information about the free Yield Prophet Lite app, or to find out how to subscribe to access the full Yield Prophet® decision-support platform phone BCG on (03) 5492 2787 or email yieldprophet@bcg.org.au.