BASF Japan enhances xarvio® FIELD MANAGER with new features to boost pasture grass production for livestock feed

• ■ xarvio® FIELD MANAGER adds features to improve quality and yield of major pasture grasses used for livestock feed
• ■ Supporting Japan’s key livestock production areas of Hokkaido and Kyushu prefectures
• ■ Providing an alternative input for livestock farmers facing soaring feed prices

BASF Japan has enhanced xarvio® FIELD MANAGER with variable application maps for fertilization and other map functions to optimize pasture grass cultivation.

The new features in xarvio® FIELD MANAGER, jointly promoted with national agricultural co-operative ZEN-NOH, support the production of major pasture grasses including Perennial Ryegrass, Orchard Grass, and Timothy, and large feed production areas of grazing land.

It is expected livestock farmers in Hokkaido and Kyushu prefecture, will use xarvio® FIELD MANAGER, to improve pasture feed output and lower operating costs.

xarvio® FIELD MANAGER's range of maps , such as soil fertility maps, growth maps, and vegetation maps based on satellite remote sensing imagery, deliver the following benefits to agricultural pasture farmers:

• ■ Monitor growth conditions of forage crops over wide areas to optimize harvest timing
• ■ Contribute to enhance yield and quality through variable fertilization
• ■ Serve as a decision-making tool for discussions and agreements between pasture owners and contractors managing the land
• ■ Enable a more targeted and cost-effective use of crop applications, improving farmers return on investment while lowering environmental impacts

Shinsuke Noda, Director BASF Agricultural Solutions Japan, says: "Japan's feed self-sufficiency ratio is currently 27 percent, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries aims to raise it to 34 percent by 2030. The soaring cost of feed has placed a great deal of pressure on livestock farmers in recent years, and it is vital that Japan expands its feed production to engage in sustainable livestock production. We are pleased to add agricultural pasture grass to the target crops of xarvio® FIELD MANAGER, our advanced agronomic decision-making engine, which helps improve both the quantity and quality of feed production. We will continue to contribute with the latest digital technologies to help farmers implement optimal decisions and ensure stable yields and quality."

For more information about xarvio® FIELD MANAGER, please visit https://www.xarvio-japan.jp/

*xarvio® FIELD MANAGER, a crop optimization platform, is developed by BASF Digital Farming GmbH. In Japan it is jointly promoted by BASF Japan and Japan Agricultural Cooperative Federation ("ZEN-NOH"). The solution was launched in Japan in April 2021.