Learn to Get the Most Out of SilagePlan

The process is designed to be straightforward and efficient:

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1. Automated Drone Flight: Using a compatible drone and a supported flight automation app on your mobile phone or tablet, you fly the drone over your designated feed storage areas (piles, bunks, bags). The app helps ensure the drone captures the necessary images with appropriate overlap and GSD (Ground Sample Distance).
2. Image Upload: You then upload these images directly to your secure SilagePlan dashboard.
3. Advanced Processing: Our powerful software processes the images, employing photogrammetry techniques to construct accurate 3D models of your silage.
4. Data Access: Once processed, your detailed forage inventory data – including volumes, 3D visualizations, and other analytics – becomes available for you to access, review, and utilize within your SilagePlan dashboard.

SilagePlan offers numerous benefits designed to improve efficiency and dairy farm profitability:

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• Increased Accuracy: Significantly more precise than traditional manual measurements, leading to more reliable inventory data.
• Time Savings: Drastically reduces the labor and time involved in manually measuring silage.
• Enhanced Safety: Eliminates the need for personnel to climb on potentially unstable silage piles.
• Comprehensive Data: Gain insights beyond just volume, including silage density variations, silage shrink rates, and 3D silage modeling for visual analysis.
• Improved Feed Planning: Accurate data and feed forecasting tools enable better short-term and long-term planning, helping to avoid shortages or costly emergency purchases.
• Reduced Dry Matter Loss: By accurately quantifying shrink, you can identify problem areas and implement strategies to minimize waste.
• Optimized Forage Use: Make better decisions on which forages to feed and when, maximizing the value of your home-grown feeds.
• Data-Driven Decisions: Empowers dairy farmers, nutritionists, and feed consultants with reliable data for collaborative and informed decision-making.
• Better Financial Oversight: More accurately value your feed inventory and understand its impact on your farm's finances.

• Silage Density: SilagePlan calculates volume with high precision. To determine density (mass per unit volume), this volumetric data can be combined with actual weight measurements (e.g., from scale-equipped TMR mixers or by weighing representative samples). Our platform facilitates tracking how density changes across different parts of a pile or over time, helping you understand compaction quality and true dry matter availability.
• Silage Shrink: To track silage shrink and help reduce dry matter loss, SilagePlan compares measurements taken at different times. For example, we can measure a pile immediately after it's packed and covered, and then measure it again before feedout or periodically during feedout. The difference in calculated dry matter (based on volume and density) between these measurements provides an accurate quantification of shrink. This data is crucial for identifying areas where feed losses are occurring and for evaluating the effectiveness of your storage and management practices.

A: SilagePlan is compatible with imagery from nearly all professional or "pro-sumer" drones equipped with a good quality camera and GPS. Common compatible models include, but are not limited to:

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• DJI Mavic series (e.g., Mavic 2 Pro, Mavic 3 Enterprise)
• DJI Phantom series (e.g., Phantom 4 Pro, Phantom 4 RTK)
• DJI Air series (e.g., Air 2S, Air 3)
• Autel Evo series (e.g., Evo II Pro) For optimal results, especially for achieving the highest accuracy for tasks like precise shrink measurement, we recommend drones with higher resolution sensors and, where possible, RTK or PPK capabilities or the use of Ground Control Points (GCPs). Please contact us to discuss specific drone models or requirements.

A: SilagePlan is designed to benefit a range of professionals in the dairy and livestock industry:

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• Dairy Farmers: For direct management of their largest variable cost, improving feed planning, and boosting overall farm efficiency and dairy farm profitability.
• Feed Consultants & Nutritionists: To provide them with accurate, objective data for formulating precise rations, advising clients on inventory management, and demonstrating the value of their services.
• Custom Harvesters: To offer value-added services by providing clients with accurate post-harvest inventory measurements.
• Large Livestock Operations: Any operation that relies on significant volumes of stored forage can benefit from improved inventory management.

A: SilagePlan is compatible with imagery from nearly all professional or "pro-sumer" drones equipped with a good quality camera and GPS. Common compatible models include, but are not limited to:

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• DJI Mavic series (e.g., Mavic 2 Pro, Mavic 3 Enterprise)
• DJI Phantom series (e.g., Phantom 4 Pro, Phantom 4 RTK)
• DJI Air series (e.g., Air 2S, Air 3)
• Autel Evo series (e.g., Evo II Pro) For optimal results, especially for achieving the highest accuracy for tasks like precise shrink measurement, we recommend drones with higher resolution sensors and, where possible, RTK or PPK capabilities or the use of Ground Control Points (GCPs). Please contact us to discuss specific drone models or requirements.

SilagePlan is committed to your success. We offer comprehensive support including:

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• Onboarding Assistance: Helping you get set up with the platform and your first drone flights.
• Knowledge Base & Tutorials: Access to online resources, guides, and video tutorials.
• Direct Support: Our dedicated customer support team is available via email, phone, or online chat to answer your questions and troubleshoot any issues.
• Best Practice Guidance: We provide advice on optimal drone flight patterns, image capture, and data interpretation to ensure you get the most value from SilagePlan.