errors
26 April 2002
ITrevamp avoids chem
errors
By Charles Abel
GROWERS are running the risk of severe financial penalties if they fall foul of fast changing spray legislation, buyer protocols and pesticide labels.
To help reduce that risk, which is growing in broad-acre and specialist crops alike, one East Anglia-based inputs supplier has revamped its entire information technology system this spring.
Alongside a new product database Hutchinsons is moving agronomists from lap-top computers to hand-held portable data assistants, so they can provide more detailed technical advice in the field and generate spray recommendations faster.
Litigation and lost marketing opportunities where pesticides are applied outside label, legal or buyer protocols are now a big issue for growers, says marketing manager Andrew McShane. "You have to be right up to date to avoid problems."
Buyers increasingly want to see detailed records showing pesticide use complies with the letter of the law and their own protocols. Some buyers are even checking protocol compliance on-line on a daily basis, he points out.
What is already happening with fieldscale veg and potatoes is starting to happen in combinable crops too, with millers and maltsters setting down increasingly detailed specifications.
Hutchinsons nearly fell foul of a harvest interval change on a buyer protocol for sprouts a few years ago. "It would have meant a six figure sum in losses for the grower concerned," admits Mr McShane.
To avoid a repeat, the company has launched a revamped version of its product database. FieldWise Millennium is now held on the laptop computers and home PCs of all its agronomists. Recommendations written on the new pocket PDA computers in the field (see panel) are also routinely checked against it before forwarding to the farmer.
Unlike distributors and consultants using off-the-shelf packages, Hutchinsons developed FieldWise to meet the specific needs of its agronomists, many of whom advise on a wide range of crops, including veg, herbs and fruit. It believes the data is more comprehensive, more accessible and more up to date.
"As a business we feel we will gain more and more of an edge with this," says Mr McShane. "Other systems simply dont have the level of information we have. FieldWise really is our Crown Jewels."
FieldWise Millennium carries full label information for all pesticides and adjuvants, supplied by manufacturers, plus latest updates on approvals and protocol requirements obtained from the supermarkets and packers, the Pesticides Safety Directorate, CSL, the Food Standards Agency and DEFRA.
"It is a guarantee to farmers and growers of a validated, technical, agronomic and legislative service to their businesses," says technical support manager Ian Black. Crops covered range from wheat to marjoram and everything in-between.
"SOLAs, for example, are becoming increasingly important, coming through on an almost daily basis," says Mr Black. LERAP changes can also emerge quickly, while changes to harvest intervals are the biggest cause for concern, notes agronomist Neville Styles.
Although Hutchinsons still holds professional indemnity insurance, FieldWise Millennium provides the belt and braces to minimise problems, helping maintain an enviable claims record.
Information on crop production, nutrition, seed and varieties, plus tank mix compatibility and trials results is also included. Recommendations supplied to farmers are compatible with Farmade Multicrop and other crop recording packages. *
Pcoket computing
In what is believed to be a first among distributors Hutchinsons has bought 30 Compaq iPAC hand-held personal data assistants for its agronomists to use in the field. Holding a wealth of client and product data they can be used to generate spray recommendations as the agronomist walks the field, cutting out the need for handwritten notes to be transcribed into a recommendations package later in the day. "My personal experience over the past four weeks is that it does save time," says agronomist Neville Styles. With the recommendation written while the field is walked an order can be placed by mobile phone from the field. The recommendation is then transferred to a portable computer or PC later in the day, at which point it is cross-checked against the FieldWise Millennium database for compliance with legal clearances and buyer protocols before faxing or e-mailing to the farmer. With spray plans already written and checks done automatically recommendations take just a few minutes to finalise, instead of the two or three hours in the evening it used to take using product manuals and rekeying from handwritten notes, says Mr Styles. Using a printer in the agronomists car to print recommendation sheets for the farmer while on-farm was considered, but has been found to be impractical. "Everyone is under pressure to do more in less time, so if we can free up 5-10% of our agronomists time, which we believe we can, that is worth investing in," says Mr McShane.
HUTCHINSONS IT
Big losses if wrong spray.
Accurate advice essential.
FieldWise Millennium database.
Hand-held computers speed recommendations.
www.hutchinsons-online.co.uk
Pocket computing
In what is believed to be a first among distributors Hutchinsons has bought 30 Compaq iPAC hand-held personal data assistants for its agronomists to use in the field. Holding a wealth of client and product data they can be used to generate spray recommendations as the agronomist walks the field, cutting out the need for handwritten notes to be transcribed into a recommendations package later in the day. "My personal experience over the past four weeks is that it does save time," says agronomist Neville Styles. With the recommendation written while the field is walked an order can be placed by mobile phone from the field. The recommendation is then transferred to a portable computer or PC later in the day, at which point it is cross-checked against the FieldWise Millennium database for compliance with legal clearances and buyer protocols before faxing or e-mailing to the farmer. With spray plans already written and checks done automatically recommendations take just a few minutes to finalise, instead of the two or three hours in the evening it used to take using product manuals and rekeying from handwritten notes, says Mr Styles. Using a printer in the agronomists car to print recommendation sheets for the farmer while on-farm was considered, but has been found to be impractical. "Everyone is under pressure to do more in less time, so if we can free up 5-10% of our agronomists time, which we believe we can, that is worth investing in," says Mr McShane.
HUTCHINSONSIT
• Big losses if wrong spray.
• Accurate advice essential.
• FieldWise Millennium database.
• Hand-held computers speed recommendations.
• www.hutchinsons-online.co.uk