b'I think the market is fairly openprecision farming inpotatoes is a new area. JEFF GOULDINGFarmers will typically know how many tubers per acre theyve planted almost to the exact number, but they will not know how many tubers have emerged. And if theres a huge difference then there is an issue that needs toJeff Goulding,be addressed, Goulding explains. HummingbirdTechnologies United They can also measure canopy development by monitoring the rate ofKingdom business emergence and the time it takes for the canopy to develop. If done regularly itdevelopment manager in a can then be fed into a potato yield monitor. potato field. PHOTO: HUMMINGBIRD Hummingbird can also help with desiccationthey can look at howTECHNOLOGIESmuch green material is left in the canopy to help farmers develop a spot spraying or variable rate application plan.This is all about managing the canopy. Trying to get an even canopy and making sure youre not over fertilizing the cropwhich means its going to stay green for too long and then youre having to spend a lot of money trying to kill it, says Goulding.Another less used Hummingbird product for potato growers is weed detec-tion, Goulding says. Once the crop has emerged, they can take an image of the crop and mask out the crop, leaving only the weeds and then create a variable rate herbicide plan to spray for.18 SPUDSMART.COM SUMMER 2020'