Soil Fertility - New Rx Adjustment Options

Clients needing greater ease and control with rate changes and modifications within their variable rate Rx layers now will be able to take advantage of some new output adjustment features. Users will now have the option for a "Rate Multiplier" and "Rate Subtract" input that will adjust the Product output based on the user supplied value.

How Does this Differ from the previous "Multiplier" and "Subtract" inputs?

The original options found under an element for Multiplier and Subtract both were focused on adjusting the original elemental rec value produced by the selection equation and influencing inputs. This meant that a user had to supply an adjustment value for either of these inputs in its elemental form as it related to the selected product. This required the user to know the nutrient percentage within the selected product for the primary element as well.

Beyond those challenges, the difference was "when" the adjustment was applied. With the original Multiplier and Subtract, the adjustment was occurring immediately after the Fertility system had calculated the equation based recommendation. The Fertility system then applied the adjustment to the elemental recommendation and then handled all the remaining "other" adjustments and corrections such as event credits, overlapping nutrient credits from other products, or Min/Max rate limiters.

With the new input options for "Rate Multiplier" and "Rate Subtract", the user can enter in a value that will adjust the known output rate of the selected fertilizer product. There is no need for any elemental conversions or calculations by the user. Simply supply a value (either in lbs or percent) that you wish to adjust the output product rate by and the system will handle that adjustment.

The new adjustment options also happen at the end of the Fertility Rx process. This means that only the Min/Max Rate options can possibly override a users selection for adjustment. Other factors such as credits and removals are not part of this adjustment consideration. This should now allow users to easily make an Rx adjustment and hit a desired rate value per acre or average rate value per very easily.

What to Expect to see when Loading and Element within Fertility

Users will now see 2 additional (optional) input boxes when loading an element in the Soil Fertility function. Beyond that, the original options for Multiplier and Subtract have been renamed to better help identify their purpose and difference from the new input options.

To help users either unfamiliar with what these options do, as well as to remove any possible confusion, a simple hover-over tool-tip has been added to each of these inputs to give users a brief description of its functionality and abilities.

In most cases, its recommended to not enter in a value to the "Rate Multiplier" or "Rate Subtract" until an initial Rx output has been ran and the user can see what the current output rates look like. At that point, the user should very easily be able to supply an value into either adjustment option to get their desired rate output.

Since both the Rate Multiplier and Rate Subtract are considered a Post-Initial Rx function, these input options are not part of the Saved Rx Templates or Batch Rx functions. They are both treated as unique instance functions meant to provide the user a specific way to modify or adjust and outcome.

Example Rx Output Maps Utilizing the "Rate Subtract" Feature

The below images illustrate an example where the user wanted to reduce the Rx by 32 lbs to hit a target of 200 lbs/ac for their overall application rate average. The new Subtract option very easily now will allow the user to plug in the rate value without needing to convert to elemental. The system then handles the exact rate reduction request at each sample.

However, this scenario provides and example where Min/Switch Rate can still come into play. The outlined sample below had a Rate output of 80 lbs. This was already at the Min Rate. Doing the 32 lb reduction then placed this value below both the Min Rate and the Switch Rate. Thus, when the new Rx output is show, this area of the field now falls into the "No Application" area. Please keep in mind how adjustment may impact application based on machine listed rate limitations as those still must be applied.

Initial Rx Run - No Adjustment

Rx Adjusted - Subtract Rate of 32 Lbs

Rx Adjusted - Modified Switch Rate to Include Affected Area

Elemental Inputs Explained

Below is full run-down of all the available inputs for each element selected. These will display when the element is added with the "Add Element" button. There then will be an elemental selection tile in the right pane. This tile may vary slightly depending on the equation used. These can vary based on the possible Input Variables found in the selected equation. Some may have many, other may have no additional input variables. An example is given below.

Product: The Product drop-down menu determines which fertilizer product should be used for the element. Products are added to these lists via the Product Management tool.

Please Note: The default product selected for each element, as well as Max Rate, Min Rate, and Switch Rate defaults on a per-product basis and App Cost can be set within the Fertility tab of the Location Pref Tool. Product price defaults can set in the Product Management Tool. The value of any of these inputs can be modified regardless of whether defaults are present or not.

Max Rate: Setting a max rate causes the Fertility request to set any calculated output that would have exceeded the max rate to the max rate instead.
Min Rate: Setting a min rate causes the Fertility request to set any calculated output that would have been lower than the min rate to be 0 instead.
Switch Rate: Setting a switch rate tells the system how to handle calculated values that would have landed between the minimum rate and 0. For example, if the minimum rate is 80 lbs per acre, and the switch rate is 60, then everything calculated that is larger than 60 and less than 80 will be set to the minimum rate, and everything smaller than 60 will be set to 0. To enforce minimum rate as the absolute minimum (eliminating all 0 application areas) for the entire field, set the switch rate to 0, leaving the switch rate blank will set every area with a calculated output lower than the min rate to 0.
Rec Multiplier: Inputting a rec multiplier causes the initial elemental recommendation calculated from the formula to be multiplied by whatever value is in the Rec Multiplier input field. Inputting a decimal value can cause the recommendation to become divided as well. For example, inserting a Rec Multiplier of 2, will cause the recommendation to be doubled, whereas inputting a Rec Multiplier of .5 will cause the recommendation to be cut in half.
Rec Subtract: Inputting a value into the Rec Subtract input field causes that amount of raw element to be deducted from the recommendation. Please Note: A negative number can also be input here to cause a raw elemental value to be added to the recommendation
Rate Multiplier: Inputting a Rate Multiplier causes the Fertilizer Product rate to be multiplied by whatever value is in the Rate Multiplier input field. Inputting a decimal value can cause the Rate to become divided as well. For example, inserting a Rate Multiplier of 2, will cause the output to be doubled, whereas inputting a Rate Multiplier of .5 will cause the output to be cut in half.
Rate Subtract: Inputting a value into the Rate Subtract input field causes that amount of Fertilizer Product to be deducted from the end rate calculation. Please Note: A negative number can also be input here to cause a Product Rate value to be added to the recommendation.
Price: Price will be included on the recommendation PDF if it is input in this input area.
App Cost: This cost refers to the cost of applying the recommendation to the field and is listed on the corresponding recommendation PDF.