Use of Variable Rate Application (VRA) for agrochemicals grows in Argentina

Date:03-25-2022

Nearly 16% of Argentine producers already use the Variable Rate Application (VRA) technology, a report from the Buenos Aires Cereal Exchange on environmental practices in Argentine agricultural production has revealed.

In recent years this practice of VRA has experienced a growth of 10%, said the report to which AgroPages had access. Currently, the modality is implemented more strongly in the northern region of Argentina.

The ReeTTA report (Survey of Applied Agricultural Technology) reported that the use of this tool in the country, went from 6% to 16%, between the 2016-2017 and 2020-2021 campaigns.

The VRA is one of the so-called “Precision Agriculture” tools. This, the report explained, makes it possible to divide an agricultural unit according to the soil needs of inputs – seeds, fertilizers, and agrochemicals.

How the materials are applied is based on data collected by sensors, maps, and GPS (global positioning system). Many forms of technology are used in variable rate applications for precision agriculture. They include everything from drones and satellites to artificial intelligence (AI) and hyperspectral imaging.

Each zone can have specific management and receive the necessary nutrients with a convenient dose per area.

On the other hand, when analyzing the implementation of the AVI in the country’s different regions, it can be seen that in the 2020/2021 campaign the highest percentages of application values are found in northern Argentina, where the activity is linked mainly to the application of herbicides.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)