Question: How much does this cost?

The cost of HindsightN is $12 per acre and includes the nitrogen prescription, and season long AirScout imagery.

Question: How do you know we’re not creating a “self-fulfilling prophecy” with our prescriptions?

We normally apply check strips of 300 lbs. of nitrogen if a few areas of each field. We then watch these strips throughout the season with the imagery and analyze them with yield maps. If the strips never show up, we know that we did not limit the plants by decreasing N.

Question: How do you know the low yield potential areas of the field are not low due to lack of nitrogen?

The Hindsight program requires an application of N at planting, and prefers another small application after emergence. By spoon feeding the plants throughout this growth period, we can be pretty sure that the low yield potential zones that appear at approximately V8 are NOT low due to lack of nitrogen.

Question: How do the economics work?

As with everything in agriculture, the economics change on a daily basis. The variable price of corn and all the inputs create a challenging environment. HindsightN utilizes the margin of difference between the amount of nitrogen traditionally applied in the fall or early spring and the amount that is still available when the plants need it in the summer. Although opinions may vary, the general consensus is that at least 20% of the nitrogen applied early is lost to leaching into the water before it can ever be used. The cost of HindsightN ($12/acre) and the additional application cost ($15-$20) is less than the cost of the nitrogen that is typically lost. ($30 to$40)

Question: What other benefits can I expect from HindsightN?

Because HindsightN is powered by Airscout, you still have all of the benefits from the traditional Airscout platform. Besides getting over 10 images during the growing season for scouting purposes, you can also use the Airscout tools for building prescription planting maps, irrigation maps, fungicide maps, and the patented “yield estimator” to make better marketing choices. Those are just a few of the benefits from the Airscout platform.

Question: What if I don’t have a high clearance machine and cannot apply late season N?

Although this product is targeted towards those with late season capability, please call us because we may be able to coordinate with a local “Y-Drop” service provider or aerial applicator to cover your needs.

Question: When will the prescription come and what window of opportunity is available to make the application?

The image that drives the prescription typically comes about V8. By that time we already know how Spring and early Summer are playing out. We also have fairly reliable short term forecasts. This puts us in a much better position to create an accurate nitrogen prescription than those trying to do it in February. This is why we call it “Hindsight”. The HindsightN program requires an application of N at planting, and prefers another small application after emergence. This naturally causes each field to have a blanket of approximately 140 pounds of N already applied, and buys us a window of about 30 days to get that final variable rate prescription applied. This is truly a “Base Plus” system, but answers the questions of “Base Plus WHAT, and Base Plus WHERE”.

Question: What if your prescriptions cause me to lose yield?

Although its impossible for us to make any guarantees, we have been doing this for over a decade on our own fields, and our confidence is high. We also interact with each of you to provide a full understanding of how each of these maps are generated. According to your risk tolerance, we can increase or decrease the margin of what we believe will be an excess of N to provide a comfortable environment for everyone.

Question: How do you know the dark areas in the field are higher in organic matter, and not just dark because they are wet?

Because we use Airscout imagery, we can lean heavily on the thermal image. We compare each available bare soil image with the Airscout Thermal image, and make sure that the dark areas are not cold. Airscout typically takes approximately three bare soil images per season to ensure we get a good one that is suitable for the prescription.