Three years of experiments have evaluated spatially variable insecticide (SVI) technology in Louisiana. These studies compared the efficacy and value of SVI applications based on yield maps to that of whole-field broadcast treatments. Yield and profitmaps were created from previous yield/production data and were used to develop SVI prescriptions. Treatments included whole-field broadcast sprays, yield-based SVI sprays, and profit-based SVI sprays. Fourteen successful aerial applications were made tothe test fields during the 2002-2004 growing seasons. There were no significant differences in yields between SVI and whole-field broadcast treatments during any of the experiments. Insecticide costs were reduced by 5 dollar to 14 per dollar acre depending on number of applications and SVI strategy. In addition, there was a 16% to 32% reduction in area sprayed using the SVI-yield and SVI-profit treatments compared to the whole-field sprays. The preliminary data analysis shows that management zones forreducing crop inputs (insecticides) can be developed from yield and profit maps. The SVI technology can be effectively used to improve production efficiency.
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