CAUTION IS THE WATCHWORD WITH PRECISION FARMING…
CAUTION IS THE WATCHWORD WITH PRECISION FARMING…
being delivered as efficiently as customers expect, it is the contractors reputation and standing that can suffer as much as that of the technology itself."
Getting involved
The difficulty is knowing when to get involved; holding back long enough for the technology to be reasonably proven and reliable, but getting in early enough to reap the benefits. Just as important when taking the plunge is to cover every angle and ensure the job is done properly.
Rick Hartleys experience last year with a new aspect of precision farming technology show that these principles are not always easy to put into practice.
"We had an educational season with the Hydro N-Sensor system last year," he says. "There was a lot of interest from farmers wanting to try this method of real-time variable rate nitrogen application. But apart from the fact that most, understandably, wanted just small acreages of wheat treated in this way as a try-out, there were shortcomings in the calibration system that dented my confidence in it."
The service is therefore not being actively promoted this year. Instead, Hartley Farm Services, based at Carleton Rode near Attleborough, Norfolk, will continue with proven variable rate phosphate and potash application based on digital prescription maps. In addition, soil sampling for nutrient and pH status, and crop boundary mapping will continue, and a "patch spraying" system introduced.
"I am enthusiastic about the principles of precision farming," says Mr Hartley.
"It is a nonsense to assume that a 25ha field of wheat, say, should be treated uniformly when there are likely variations in soil type, water availability, soil nutrient levels and other factors that will affect crop growth and yield."
The difficulty, he acknowledges, comes in deciding how to respond to any variability in these factors. For example, is it better to put more or less fertiliser on to areas likely to perform relatively poorly?
"Ideally, we need a computer model with all the variables of crop species, variety, yield potential, soil profile, nutrient response, input cost and market price to tell us what to do for the best economic result," Mr Hartley adds. "In the meantime, we have to rely on our own judgement. Farmers and agronomists are already making this sort of decision on a field-by-field basis, which is one level of precision farming from applying uniform treatments across the whole farm. Its just that new application technology gives us more opportunities to do things differently."
Farmers welcome the way contractors are getting to grips with precision farming systems because it gives them access to the potential benefits for minimal cost, commitment and the time and expense involved in putting a workable system together.
For contractors, there is the added challenge and excitement value of getting to grips with new technologies and systems, getting them to work, and bringing them to customers. Ultimately, though, the motivation must come from any potential to generate more work from existing customers as well as attracting new customers on to the books.
New business
"So far, much of our variable-rate application and other services have been with existing customers," says Rick Hartley. "But we are attracting new business – in fact, it would hardly be worth doing if we were not."
An agreement to provide a soil sampling service for customers of Billericay Farm Services – which is now providing variable rates application of its liquid fertilisers – should also help in this regard, while similar benefits should be derived from ties with Dalgety Arable.
"Soil sampling practice is one aspect of field management that benefits most from precision farming technology," says Mr Hartley. "Conventional sampling takes little or no account of soil type variability within fields and there is no sampling consistency over the years. With systems like MagnaScan identifying soil type patterns and differential GPS pin-pointing where samples are taken, the process can be much more representative and consistent over time."
DGPS mapping of cropped area boundaries is also proving popular as a means of providing growers with reliable and accurate measurements for management purposes and grant claims, although here again operators must put their faith in technology that is not infallible.
"You really have to know what you are doing with this work, to be able to recognise when things are not quite right," Mr Hartley emphasises. "Nor is it acceptable to fudge things – when there is a loss of signal in a corner of the field, for example. You have to be prepared to put together systems that will do the job properly under extreme circumstances."
With a combination of Omni-Star DGPS service, a radio transmitter to relay the correction signal in occasional circumstances when it is shielded by hills or severe tree canopy, and Patchwork mapping software, he reckons to have all angles covered.
Hopefully, the "patch spraying" system that has been put together for this season will also meet this criteria. Based on an existing Sands self-propelled sprayer, it uses the twin sprayline technology developed by Silsoe Research Institute and Micron Sprayers to deliver a wide range of application rates by operating either or both spraylines as necessary.
Working with Dalgety Arable and Dow AgroSciences, the system will be used to selectively spray thistles in sugar beet using Dows Shield herbicide.
Herbicide expensive
"We normally do this anyway, simply by flicking the sprayer on and off because the herbicide is quite expensive and the thistles often occur in patches," explains Rick Hartley. "But while it is easy enough to do that first time through the crop, the second dose of the split treatment goes on when the beet are up and the thistles largely hidden. As a result, you can not be as selective without the risk of misses."
With the GPS-guided system, a record of sprayer operation during the first treatment will enable the second dose to go on in the same way, ensuring the job is done properly but, potentially, with a reduction in the amount of chemical used.
"As with many aspects of precision farming, that clearly has environmental as well as cost benefits," Mr Hartley says. *
Precision farming technology
undoubtedly offers
opportunities for contractors.
But there are plenty of pitfalls
too, as Peter Hill reports
Precision farming technology
undoubtedly offers
opportunities for contractors.
But there are plenty of pitfalls
too, as Peter Hill reports
GO-AHEAD contractors keen to develop their businesses should always be looking for a competitive edge. By introducing new services, using more advanced equipment, or embracing new techniques and technologies that offer benefits for customers.
Within the field of "precision farming", several such opportunities exist. But, as one contractor forging new services in this area warns, there are also risks and pitfalls.
Says Norfolk-based NAAC member Rick Hartley: "The danger with any new technology is that if it goes wrong or there are problems that prevent the service being delivered as efficiently as customers expect, it is the contractors reputation and standing that can suffer as much as that of the technology itself."
Getting involved
The difficulty is knowing when to get involved; holding back long enough for the technology to be reasonably proven and reliable, but getting in early enough to reap the benefits. Just as important when taking the plunge is to cover every angle and ensure the job is done properly.
Rick Hartleys experience last year with a new aspect of precision farming technology show that these principles are not always easy to put into practice.
"We had an educational season with the Hydro N-Sensor system last year," he says. "There was a lot of interest from farmers wanting to try this method of real-time variable rate nitrogen application. But apart from the fact that most, understandably, wanted just small acreages of wheat treated in this way as a try-out, there were shortcomings in the calibration system that dented my confidence in it."
The service is therefore not being actively promoted this year. Instead, Hartley Farm Services, based at Carleton Rode near Attleborough, Norfolk, will continue with proven variable rate phosphate and potash application based on digital prescription maps. In addition, soil sampling for nutrient and pH status, and crop boundary mapping will continue, and a "patch spraying" system introduced.
"I am enthusiastic about the principles of precision farming," says Mr Hartley.
"It is a nonsense to assume that a 25ha field of wheat, say, should be treated uniformly when there are likely variations in soil type, water availability, soil nutrient levels and other factors that will affect crop growth and yield."
The difficulty, he acknowledges, comes in deciding how to respond to any variability in these factors. For example, is it better to put more or less fertiliser on to areas likely to perform relatively poorly?
"Ideally, we need a computer model with all the variables of crop species, variety, yield potential, soil profile, nutrient response, input cost and market price to tell us what to do for the best economic result," Mr Hartley adds. "In the meantime, we have to rely on our own judgement. Farmers and agronomists are already making this sort of decision on a field-by-field basis, which is one level of precision farming from applying uniform treatments across the whole farm. Its just that new application technology gives us more opportunities to do things differently."
Farmers welcome the way contractors are getting to grips with precision farming systems because it gives them access to the potential benefits for minimal cost, commitment and the time and expense involved in putting a workable system together.
For contractors, there is the added challenge and excitement value of getting to grips with new technologies and systems, getting them to work, and bringing them to customers. Ultimately, though, the motivation must come from any potential to generate more work from existing customers as well as attracting new customers on to the books.
New business
"So far, much of our variable-rate application and other services have been with existing customers," says Rick Hartley. "But we are attracting new business – in fact, it would hardly be worth doing if we were not."
An agreement to provide a soil sampling service for customers of Billericay Farm Services – which is now providing variable rates application of its liquid fertilisers – should also help in this regard, while similar benefits should be derived from ties with Dalgety Arable.
"Soil sampling practice is one aspect of field management that benefits most from precision farming technology," says Mr Hartley. "Conventional sampling takes little or no account of soil type variability within fields and there is no sampling consistency over the years. With systems like MagnaScan identifying soil type patterns and differential GPS pin-pointing where samples are taken, the process can be much more representative and consistent over time."
DGPS mapping of cropped area boundaries is also proving popular as a means of providing growers with reliable and accurate measurements for management purposes and grant claims, although here again operators must put their faith in technology that is not infallible.
"You really have to know what you are doing with this work, to be able to recognise when things are not quite right," Mr Hartley emphasises. "Nor is it acceptable to fudge things – when there is a loss of signal in a corner of the field, for example. You have to be prepared to put together systems that will do the job properly under extreme circumstances."
With a combination of Omni-Star DGPS service, a radio transmitter to relay the correction signal in occasional circumstances when it is shielded by hills or severe tree canopy, and Patchwork mapping software, he reckons to have all angles covered.
Hopefully, the "patch spraying" system that has been put together for this season will also meet this criteria. Based on an existing Sands self-propelled sprayer, it uses the twin sprayline technology developed by Silsoe Research Institute and Micron Sprayers to deliver a wide range of application rates by operating either or both spraylines as necessary.
Working with Dalgety Arable and Dow AgroSciences, the system will be used to selectively spray thistles in sugar beet using Dows Shield herbicide.
Herbicide expensive
"We normally do this anyway, simply by flicking the sprayer on and off because the herbicide is quite expensive and the thistles often occur in patches," explains Rick Hartley. "But while it is easy enough to do that first time through the crop, the second dose of the split treatment goes on when the beet are up and the thistles largely hidden. As a result, you can not be as selective without the risk of misses."
With the GPS-guided system, a record of sprayer operation during the first treatment will enable the second dose to go on in the same way, ensuring the job is done properly but, potentially, with a reduction in the amount of chemical used.
"As with many aspects of precision farming, that clearly has environmental as well as cost benefits," Mr Hartley says. *
Rick Hartley: "There are good opportunities for contractor involvement in precision farming but many pitfalls to avoid as well."
Quad-mounted GPS for soil nutrient and pH sampling provides information used to create application rate maps
for the Chavtrac-mounted Bredal spreader.