Variable rate fertilisation: how to achieve higher yields with less fertiliser

Every field has variations. Soil is never uniform, even if it looks the same on the surface. Yet, many farmers still apply the same rate of fertiliser across the entire area, losing money in poor-performing areas and limiting the potential of the good ones. Variable rate fertilisation completely changes this approach.

Why "blanket" fertilisation no longer works

Recent studies clearly show that uniform fertiliser application:

• Leads to over-fertilisation in low-potential areas: the soil or the plant cannot utilise the applied dose → nutrients remain unused, are lost through leaching or volatilisation, and the crop does not produce more.
• Under-fertilises high-potential areas: the plant has a high yield capacity but is limited by a lack of nutrients → deficiencies occur, resulting in fewer tillers, incomplete ears/cobs, and yields below potential.
• Increases costs and the risk of nutrient loss in soil and water: excess nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium is lost from the soil-plant system → wasted money, low fertiliser efficiency, and an increased risk of water and soil pollution.

Multiple studies have demonstrated that managing fertilisation based on soil fertility zones brings clear benefits to both yield and nitrogen use efficiency.

How variable rate fertilisation works

Variable rate fertilisation is based on a simple principle: apply exactly what the crop needs, exactly where it is needed..

1. Create an application map

This can be based on:

• soil analysis,
• yield maps,

The map divides the field into clear zones, each with a different fertiliser rate.

2. The map is uploaded to the tractor terminal
The VICON spreader reads the map directly from the terminal (ISOBUS), with no manual intervention required in the field.

3. The spreader automatically adjusts the rate on the move
As the machine moves forward:

• in a high-potential zone → it applies more to capitalise on the yield potential,
• in a low-potential zone → it reduces the rate to avoid waste.

Everything happens automatically, in real time, without the operator needing to stop or make adjustments.

Real research results

Winter wheat – variable vs. uniform fertilisation

The study results show that variable fertilisation led to:

• yield increases of up to 14.5% in certain areas,
• more tillers and more ears/m²,
• higher grain protein content (up to +12.5%),
• average savings of ~14 kg nitrogen/ha, with no yield loss

Maize – multi-year studies

Another international study on maize showed that variable rate fertilisation:

• increased yield by 11% in one year and 33% in another year,
• reduced the amount of fertiliser applied by up to 32%,
• significantly improved the cost-benefit ratio for the farmer

The conclusion is clear: more precision = more profit.

What this means for you in practice

✔️ Stop wasting money on areas that cannot produce
✔️ Maximise the potential of the productive areas of your plot
✔️ Reduce fertiliser consumption without the risk
✔️ Achieve more uniform and predictable yields
✔️ Protect the soil and comply with environmental requirements

Variable rate fertilisation is not the future. It is the present.

The technology exists. The studies confirm it. The difference lies in correct implementation. Our variable rate fertilisation solutions are designed for exactly this purpose: to turn field data into simple, automated and profitable decisions, regardless of farm size.

📌 Don't fertilise your soil as if it were the same everywhere. Fertilise intelligently.