Data Takes The Doubt Out Of Decision Making

Precision Farming

Being more precise with precision farming might sound rather paradoxical but it is the goal of Great Tew Estate manager, Colin Woodward.

Colin was an early adopter of precision farming. This started as far back as 2012 following a run of weather events leading to poor winter wheat establishment and ultimately blighted potential. What started as variable rate seed is now variable rate nutrition too.

It’s probably no surprise. A combinable crop area of 900 ha includes a wide range of soil types, everything from sand to clay, with a good amount of ironstone and Cotswold brash for good measure. “We can have four different soil types in one field and winter wheat field averages range from 8.0 t/ha to 12.5 t/ha,” he notes.

Colin’s aim is to even up crops so that the performance of crops in poorer ground is closer to that of the better parts. There is also no point in throwing good money after bad so better input targeting adds to the bottom line.

Winter wheat seed rates now range between 300 and upward of 500 M2 on the heavier more black-grass prone land, and to help counter slugs. Varying rates has cut the seed bill, more importantly it has led to more even crop establishment and reduced disease pressure through excessive crop biomass.

Fertiliser and N are also applied variably. Wheat used to get a flat N rate of 200 l/ha but it now ranges between 180 – 220 l/ha. Again, the aim is to improve crop evenness but also not to use excessive fertiliser where no yield advantage is realistic. It is all about small gains but with fertiliser and grain prices where they are, small savings and modest yield improvements are likely to prove significant.

The biggest gains with variable rate fertiliser have been seen in WOSR. It has lowered the overall amount of liquid N applied but more importantly helped field areas that haven’t overwintered well recover. “We’ve seen areas damaged by slugs or rabbits come back up quite quickly by just a small increase in the amount of fertiliser,” he notes.

The variable rate maps are based on biomass images captured by the platform and creating them is extremely straightforward with FieldView’s Autozone feature. “In the past we used to have to draw around biomass or yield maps but now Autozone automatically zones the field up. It takes longer to send it to the tractor than produce it!

“Another benefit is the connectivity between FieldView and MyJohnDeere. We can send the maps straight from the office without the need to go to a tractor with a USB stick.”

Colin likes FieldView’s simplicity and speed, saving him considerable time. Now he is hoping the platform can save him time in his role as an agronomist. He uses FieldView to keep on top of what is happening in client’s fields by keeping a close eye on biomass and vegetative maps. This allows him to prioritise which fields to walk first.

But it also reduces the amount of walking too. He uses scouting pins as a reference point for problems areas such as slug damage or those needing drainage. He also maps black-grass through the platform.

FieldView also helps him communicate with customers as he can show them changes in biomass or a field health issue.

Great trial tool

As farmer and agronomist Colin feels FieldView offers much more opportunity to carry out on farm trials.

This includes some intriguing crop refinement possibilities. Under review is the idea of varying the range of trace elements over a field. Colin wants to move away from a ‘broad brush’ approach to applying particular trace elements to specific parts of a field The type and rate of trace elements again determined by biomass images. Further ahead, he also wants to investigate the possibility of doing the same with fungicides – rates again based on high or low areas of biomass.

Recently, Colin has just completed a drilling speed trial. The aim was to see if lowering the drill speed from 14 to 10 km/h reduced soil disturbance, helping to lower black-grass populations. Results proved positive, so this has been added to an integrated weed management strategy.

With big gains unlikely, it is small incremental gains that will drive performance further. That requires a high level of refinement, something not really possible before. “FieldView gives us much more accurate data, improving our ability to evaluate what we are doing. It can only help me make the right decisions, and do so more quickly,” he concludes.