When we do not feel well, and a doctor prescribes a medicine or treatment, we expect that it will specifically address the problem and return us to good health. The same is true when a farmer has a pest or crop disease in their fields which can painfully reduce yields and profitability. Increasingly, growers and their expert ag consultants have the analytic tools and field knowledge to diagnose potential issues and target therapeutic remedies to both protect and nourish the crop. Such prescriptive applications of pesticide defenses are clearly preferrable to blanketing the entire acreage both from an economic and environmental standpoint.

Today’s precision agriculture data analysis tools allow farmers to identify where they need to apply pesticides, and AMVAC has developed an application system that allows such deposition to be placed only where needed in the necessary amounts. Evolving from a 20-year history of success with first generation SmartBox technology, AMVAC has created the Smart Integrated Multi-Product Prescription Application System (SIMPAS)! SIMPAS makes it easy for growers to prescriptively apply multiple pesticides and micronutrients in furrow at time of planting in one pass and only to the parts of the field that need them. SIMPAS is a multiproduct variable-rate system that starts with location-specific recommendations developed by an agronomist for fields with known problems. SIMPAS automatically loads geo-positioning and product information into a farmer’s software system and as the planter tracks through the field, SIMPAS “paints” the optimal crop protection and soil health template on the ground…not unlike the way an inkjet printer transfers a digital picture to a paper copy. In practice, this system can increase crop yields, reduce grower input costs, and facilitate environmental sustainability through soil and water conservation as well as beneficial carbon sequestration.

In connection with SIMPAS, AMVAC has developed a patented MRV (measure, record, validate) technology called Ultimus®, which enables growers to track product application, optimize inventory management and document precision application records that can be utilized to secure carbon reduction credits. In addition to the proven, branded pesticides in its core portfolio, AMVAC markets more than 100 plant and soil-health solutions globally, including biofertilizers, bio-stimulants and microbials that serve to provide plant nutrients, improve bioavailability of those nutrients, and enhance the soil microbial community. To learn more, visit several applicable websites including AMVAC , SIMPAS and the American Vanguard Corporation.