Grid sampling can be a vital component for monitoring soil health and analyzing the nutrient profile of your growers fields. Grid sampling reveals the availability and distribution of nutrients for many different points across an entire field. Inherently, grid sampling involves more target points overall when compared to other sampling techniques but with additional points, more data can provide a deeper understanding of the fields overall health.
Improving the level of understanding around the health of your grower's soil will maximize the efficiency of the fertilizer applications and will go a long way in strengthening the relationship & trust between you and your growers.
In Sirrus Mobile there are a couple of different ways to set up a Grid Sampling order for fields. The first method we will look at is creating the job from the comfort of your office.
From the Office (or anywhere you have the Sirrus app)
Setting up the sample order prior to you or your team heading to the field will improve efficiency and minimize the chances of error when in the field. Using this option, your team or whomever is collecting the samples will be directed to the exact sample locations.
Assuming you have a list of the fields being sampled, navigate to the first field on your list.
To start the sampling job, as always, tap on the + sign (in orange) at the bottom of your mobile device's screen, then select Soil Sampling: Grid.
You will then need to select the correct work state for the order. If your plan is to send a sample team out to collect the orders, it would be good practice to start in the Work Order work state but Planned or Recommendation can also be used.
A default 2.5 acre grid will be overlayed onto the selected field. If you would like to adjust the grid size, tap in the Cell Size box and enter in the desired grid acreage. Adjusting the position of the grid is as simple as tapping and holding the crosshairs and moving it around the devices screen. The grid can also be turned by tapping and holding the crosshairs with two fingers and rotating the grid to accommodate oddly shaped field boundaries.
With the grid in place, tap Route in the top right corner. Target points will be dropped into each square on the grid; these points can also be adjusted individually if needed. Simply tap, hold and drag the target point to the desired location.
With the sample points in position, begin by sliding your finger across the screen starting with the first sample point, moving to the second, then third and so on until all of the points have been mapped out.
Tool tip: It helps to start outside of the first target circle when dragging your finger through the points to map the route.
If you make a mistake, use the undo tools in the bottom right to make adjustments to the route. When you have completed the route, tap Set Route in the top right.
Once your route has been set, tap the Drop All Points button. This will generate a Sample ID for each of your designated target points. You can adjust the Sample ID's and Depths in the table under the map by tapping in the box and entering in the value you desire.
A recently added feature is the Barcode Scanning tool. To use the tool, tap the Details button. The barcode scanner allows you to use your devices' camera to scan the barcode for each of the sample bags. Each sample point will have a unique barcode associated with it. This feature allows for easy reporting, eliminates manual entry of Bag ID's and will minimize the likelihood of mistakes.
After you have made all of your adjustments tap Finish and give the sampling work order a name. If you'd like you can add in any relevant notes for your field team as well, then tap Save. Your team is now ready to go complete the sampling job.
Fulfilling the Activity and Generating a Report
When your team is in the field and ready to collect the soil samples using the work order you created, they will want to fulfill this activity, meaning move it from the Work Order to the Work Record state. Locate the grid sampling activity under the Jobs tile and tap the Fulfill button.
If you would like you can now generate a Barcode Report for sampling job. From the home screen, tap the + sign and tap on the Reports icon. From the list of available reports, choose the Barcode Report and ensure all of the Lab Info is filled in correctly, then tap Next.
Use the Select Activities button to located the Work Record and tap Select, your barcode report will now populate. You can choose from here how you would like to send the report out using the Send icon. When you have finished, tap Done.
Grid Sampling from the Field
Sirrus mobile gives you the flexibility to complete jobs on the go but before heading out to complete the field activity, you will need to double check your settings and confirm that Sample with GPS is turned on.
Start the activity by navigating to the field in Sirrus, tapping the + sign and select Soil Sampling: Grid from the list of activities. When completing the activity in the field, we suggest choosing the Work Record as the work state.
The next step in the workflow will be to set your grid as before. A 2.5 acre grid will auto-populate over the field. As stated earlier, you can adjust the size of the cells by tapping in and editing the value in the Cell Size box. To adjust the position of the grid, tap the crosshairs to move around the screen. With the Grid in place, tap Route in the top right.
Target circles will be dropped into each grid square. As we covered previously, you can adjust the position of the target circles by tapping, holding and dragging into position. You can also add other target points by tapping and holding in a grid cell.
With the target points in place begin mapping your waypoints throughout the field, essentially mapping the desired route you will be collecting the samples. Use your finger and drag it from point to point through the circles until all targets have been included. With your route in place, tap Set Route and begin sampling.
Editor's note: While in the field, if you don't want or need a predetermined route in place ahead of time, you can elect to skip the routing step and continue on.
Using your devices GPS or an externally linked system, begin walking or driving to the sample collection points that have been mapped out. When you (the blue dot) is in the orange circle, tap the Drop Point button.
Continue moving throughout the field dropping points, editing sample information as needed until you have completed your sampling activity. Then tap Finish to complete the activity.
We hope you have enjoyed learning how to complete a Grid Sampling activity in Sirrus Mobile, be sure to check out the other resources available in the Help Center.