With the new age of technology hitting farms, producers face a learning curve that can feel daunting.

To remedy that, Greeneye Technology, a precision spraying company, has recently announced its partnership with Boeck Seed Services, which is based near Exeter, Neb.

This new collaboration will provide on-site expertise for producers with service equipment and hands-on farmer support through Boeck Seed.

“Customers already know us,” says Jerry Boeck, owner of Boeck Seed. “We are able to be there for after the sale and making sure everything goes well, giving the customer a winning feeling.”

For Greeneye, it is more than just a partnership. Based in Israel, this company knew it wanted to help farmers with a cost-effective and efficient solution to weed problems, having tested its technology in the field in Nebraska over the past few growing seasons.

“Savings is definitely there for farmers, but they want flexibility,” says Nadav Bocher, CEO of Greeneye. “Farmers are thinking about how they can be a lot more aggressive on weeds in the field while still being economical.”

Integrating precision agriculture

Greeneye is an aftermarket solution that allows farmers to keep the equipment they are already using. Bocher says that what makes the system unique is that it can work with pretty much any sprayer. However, with this technology, an entire boom system needs to be added in addition to cameras.

Related:Focus on new tech to tackle weeds

“You can pull all this technology together, but if the boom has cracks and you are adding weight, that is just not very feasible,” Bocher says. “So, we have designed this proprietary aluminum base, which is lighter and comes with the Greeneye system.”

CLOSE EYE: The 24 cameras that are present in combination with the sensors allow farmers to identify and spray only weeds while traveling across the field. (Photo by Elizabeth Hodges)

This system is comprised of a sensor with 12 graphic processing units and 24 cameras, so once it sees a weed, the correct nozzle or nozzles are activated, and 72 pulsing lights on the unit allow producers to work 24/7.

These Greeneye systems can be installed at Boeck Seed by its trained professionals. In addition, when the system is up and running in the field, farmers can reach out to Boeck Seed for technical support.

“We will do the install, test and then take it back to the customer to teach them how to run it,” Boeck says. “But then we will also be there behind the scenes if something goes wrong.”

Lower costs and increase yields

With the precision spraying system, producers can be specific and more targeted when spraying a field. Not only will this reduce drift, but it also allows the chemical cost to be lower. With this spot-spraying technique, there is an additional Greeneye tank that is installed on the sprayer. Once a weed is identified by the camera, a non-residual herbicide from the Greeneye tank is applied.

“There is a farmer locally that has the Greeneye system, and his threshold for spraying in the spring now is a lot lower, because you are not having to commit a full boom’s worth of chemical to get rid of the weeds,” says Cody Boeck, operations manager at Boeck Seed.

AHEAD OF CURVE: Even though incorporating new technology into a farm can have its struggles, producers can have peace of mind that Boeck Seed Services will be there to remedy any problems that come up with the system. (Photo courtesy of Greeneye Technology)

While the cost savings are an attention grabber for farmers, the more precise spraying technique allows producers to have more freedom with mixes.

“The other thing that I see is that the formulations used for chemicals are made for broadcast,” Cody Boeck says. “And if we're going to be applying 15% of what we normally would, the opportunities for different formulations for better efficacy are coming to the producers’ minds now.”

Bocher says that the reported savings with the Greeneye technology was 88%. “We really believe that precision spraying, especially in the Midwest for corn and soybean, is critical from an agronomic perspective to have broadcast application next to spot-spray,” Bocher says.

To learn more about Greeneye technology or to get it installed for your operation, contact a Greeneye or Boeck Seed specialist at greeneye.ag or boeckseedservices.com.