Farmers, landowners, agri-businesses and industry stakeholders will be in for a comprehensive day of innovation, discussion, and partnership at the South West AgriTech Showcase on 20th April 2023, held at Exeter Racecourse in Devon.

Recent events have shown just how vulnerable the nation’s food supply chain is, says Russell Frith, inward investment lead at flagship event sponsor, Wiltshire Council. “Climate change is only going to continue to put pressure on agriculture and food security. Farmers are being asked to be more efficient, produce more for less, and reduce food production’s impact on the environment, including improvements to farmland and wider biodiversity.

“Agri-tech and innovation are vital components in helping farmers meet these objectives, as well as in building resilient and profitable businesses,” he adds. “We’re confident that this conference will give attendees the information, tools, and networks they need to progress to net zero, build sustainable businesses, and enhance food security.”

With collaboration recognised as a means to progression, Kevin Brooks will be sharing how a One Health Business Cluster offers great opportunities for farm businesses and developing agrifood sector SMEs.

“The aim of a One Health Business Cluster is to unlock and accelerate innovative development,” says Mr Brooks, director at bid writing company Brooks Kebbey – a main sponsor of the showcase – and facilitator for the Dorset LEP One Health Programme. “So in the session we’ll talk through the development of a cluster to support innovation from businesses with an emphasis on farming, food security, and environmental sciences,” he explains.

Mr Brooks will also be on hand to offer his expertise in bid writing for farm grants and SME funding solutions.

Fellow event sponsor, Andrew Farmer, founder at MyOxygen, will be holding a session on how software can improve the way we farm and live. “Data-powered digital technology will help farmers and food producers drive efficiency, grow profits and minimise risk,” he says.

But sometimes that is not communicated in a meaningful way, and his session will help unravel the use of digital technology in producing data for meaningful impact.

Taking it back to the farm, Katy Jo Stanton, senior farming adviser at the Soil Association, will be showcasing farmer innovation in action; tackling soil restoration and preservation. “We’ll be sharing some of our own farmer-led research and innovation projects which are fundamental in developing farm level solutions. And, of course, we’re really keen to speak with farmers and growers from the region.”

Ms Stanton says having open conversations is key in developing solutions that benefit both the farm business and the farmed environment.”

Hutchinsons’ head of soils, Ian Robertson, will be shedding light on why it is important to stay invested in the soils; better understanding leads to improved management and nutrient use efficiency.

“One of the key themes for my session is opening a conversation with farmers to bring awareness to how soil functions, and what impact different cultivation techniques, and the inputs used, have on soils,” he says. “Having these discussions can help find better ways of producing cereal or grass crops without compromising the business or environment.”

Bringing together farmers, landowners, agri-businesses and industry stakeholders will create a powerful room, says Joanna Rufus, chair at South West AgriTech.

“We especially need farmers to communicate what is happening at the coalface. Agri-tech is a critical component in helping farmers achieve the priorities like net zero as well as developing a more robust food supply chain. But if farmers aren’t in the room, innovation risks losing traction.”

For more information visit our Events calendar.

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Mel Squires, South West director at the NFU, will be a keynote speaker at the event, to be held on 20th April. “I will be reflecting on how critical agri-tech is to our farming and food supply chains, from farmgate to marketplace,” she says.

“Given the significance of farming to this region, both economically and environmentally, it is crucial that we continue to collaborate. We must work with researchers, practitioners and other stakeholders to enable the sector to be sustainable, productive, profitable and resilient. This is for the benefit of our communities, consumers, business owners and workers, and to help us achieve our ambitions for the environment and reaching net zero,” she adds.

“This event will shine a bright light on all the fantastic effort and work taking place in this part of the world, and beyond. It will inform, connect, inspire and, I hope, encourage people to learn more and see how agri-tech can help their own businesses, which will invite further interest and investment.”

Other topics covered at the South West AgriTech Showcase will include the future of regenerative food and farming, with speaker Dr Robin Jackson, director at Agri-tech Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Project. Also, there will be a national agri-tech funding update from Innovate UK, and ‘Agri tech – Addressing the Perception’, from the Gloucestershire Agri tech Partnership – delivered by Ben Thompson at Hartpury and Sarah Carr at the Royal Agricultural University.

Sustainability is a hot topic in both the food and agriculture sectors, and will be discussed on the day. And, the event will serve as a chance to bring people together to see the latest advances in agri-tech. “It’s a great opportunity for people involved in the agriculture sector and agri-tech to come together and see some of the technology that’s commercially available in the region as well as the research and development that’s being undertaken,” says councillor Rufus Gilbert, Devon county council cabinet member for economic recovery and skills.

To book a free ticket for the event click here.

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The region is an agri-tech powerhouse, with over 10 universities offering a wide variety of research specialisms and collaborating with industry professionals to develop spin-off companies.

“Following the G7 summit in Cornwall there has been a lot of discussion around the wealth of talent we have in the area,” explains Joanna Rufus, chair of South West Agri-tech. “We have over 200 small to medium sized agri-tech companies and 64 business support organisations – including centres of excellence – which generate a turnover of more than £371m a year.

“Together with major employers including Arla Foods UK, Mole Valley Farmers, Thatchers Cider, ABP and Yeo Valley, agricultural companies in the South West contribute more than £3bn in gross value added to the UK economy.”

To showcase some of the exciting research, development and commercially available technology in the region, South West Agri-tech is holding a conference at Exeter Racecourse on the 20th April 2023. Highlights will include a range of outdoor robotic and drone demonstrations, as well as an indoor marketplace with dedicated networking time, and high profile speakers.

“The event will be free to attend and there are several sponsorship packages available,” says Mrs Rufus. “We want the whole farming, horticulture and agri-tech community to attend, and learn how such exciting developments have a genuine and practical role to play within agricultural businesses.”

Key technologies that are penetrating the global agriculture sector include data analytics, artificial intelligence, internet-of-things, and automation systems, along with production and uses of biofuel as an alternative source of energy. Satellite technologies are increasingly enabling the next generation of agri-tech by providing positioning information; delivering frequent, wide-scale observation, and providing reliable, affordable and ubiquitous connectivity.

“As the country’s most rural region, we are leading the way in agri-tech research and innovation, helping to support our rich farming and food sectors,” explains Karl Tucker, interim chair of the Great South West Partnership. “We are delighted to support this event, to showcase our region’s world-leading technologies and the pivotal role they play in the UK’s economy and food security.”

Simply put, agri-tech is needed to help the world to sustainably meet its demand for good quality, safe food, explains Mrs Rufus. “In the South West, we are perfectly placed to help deliver that, with a range of specialities spanning the entire food supply chain. We are fortunate to have unparalleled support for agri-tech businesses to develop and grow, with business growth hubs, incubators and accelerators, as well as bespoke business expertise, tax incentives and access to funding. We now have the largest and fastest growing network of high growth SMEs in the UK agri-tech sector, and the time is right to really demonstrate what they can do for food producers in the region.”

Katherine Bennett CBE, chair of the Western Gateway Partnership, agrees. “Across the region we have many innovative businesses, high tech clusters and greater educational institutions working at the leading edge in their field. We are home to the Royal Agricultural University, whose plans for an Innovation Village promise to ensure the UK leads the way in developing methods to produce food sustainably in the future.

“It is great to see businesses coming together to demonstrate the leading work they are doing in this sector. I encourage everyone to come along to this event to see why our area is at the forefront of making a future with sustainable food a reality.”

For more information visit www.southwestagritech.org.uk

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Herdwatch is designed for cattle farmers but at the click of a button you can switch to Flockwatch, which caters for sheep farmers’ needs.

There is also a section for mapping your farm and creating paddock records, which are shared across both sides of the app – along with a smart shared medicine cabinet.

Multiple users can access the app and if you are in an area with poor mobile coverage, it works offline. Best of all, if you ever have an accident with your phone, your farm records are safely saved to the cloud.

Herdwatch – Simple Medicine Recording, Simple Calf Registration, Full Breeding Management & more…

The Herdwatch app has become a necessity for many farmers, with them using it daily to maximise farm performance.

Lorna & Jim Burdge have been using Herdwatch on their farms since 2019 and haven’t looked back since with Lorna emphasising the impact the app has had on their lives.

“It has made a massive difference to us. I can switch off better in the evenings cause I am doing everything in seconds as I go along about my day.”

The couple run two dairy farms in Devon and milk each twice a day. They have two herds of cows on two tenanted holdings, one is 160 acres consisting of crossbred and Jersey cows while the other is approximately 90 acres employing 100 medium Holstein Friesians and crossbred cows.

With all her records up to date in Herdwatch, Lorna has no worries when it comes to inspection time. “Red Tractor and milk buyer auditors have all been very impressed at me for having all the required records available at the touch of a button. Farm inspections have become much easier and farm inspection time has significantly decreased because I have access to all the information they could ask for in seconds.”

Operating both Spring and Autumn calving herds, Lorna used to find herself losing a lot of precious time registering animals, with Herdwatch she now registers all her calves out on the farm as she works, as well as inputting any other key information such as medicines as it happens.

“When we start calving, I will be literally tagging the new born calf and at the same time quickly registering the calf in Herdwatch and sending it off straight away.”

Herdwatch has been a tool that Lorna uses daily to maximise farm performance. “I record heats, serves and scans on Herdwatch. I also download breeding reports to print off and make notes on which helps me get a better understanding which I will then use for discussion and possibly share with my vet. I am constantly looking to improve my farm management and Herdwatch has been a massive help in doing so.”

“Previously, records were handwritten and very time consuming. Herdwatch has made records so much easier and saved me valuable time.”

Get your flock in your hand with Flockwatch…

On the other side of the Herdwatch app is Flockwatch, a dedicated app for sheep farmers to manage their flock performance more efficiently. Flockwatch is essentially Herdwatch for sheep farmers, allowing sheep farmers to track flock performance and health individually or in groups in one simple to use app. Here are some of the features the Flockwatch app has to offer today:

• Your flock in your hand.
• Record lambing and track ewe performance.
• Record batch medicines simply and quickly.
• Fast Weight recording to track average daily gains.
• Lameness Management to track repeat offenders.
• Connect an EID Reader to scan ear tags to view an animal’s history or add records easily.
• Map your farm using satellite imagery & much much more…

One of the key advantages of these apps is the ability to use them if you are in an area with poor mobile coverage, they work offline.

YouTube superstar Cammy Wilson, better known as “The Sheep Game”, has been using Flockwatch on his farm in Ayreshire, Scotland. Before Flockwatch, Cammy was taking photos of ear tags, medicine bottles or writing notes in his phone. “We had great intentions to go home that night and update it but that rarely happened! It would usually be a month down the line back tracking through photos it was just quite a farce!”

“If I see a sheep with mastitis now and I catch her out in the field and give her an injection I look at the last four digits of her ear tag, type that into the app there and then, I don’t even need my stick reader with me, brings that sheep up and I can record she’s had that jab there and then out in the field!” Operating a very busy schedule, Cammy has been extremely thankful for the Flockwatch app enabling him to save time, take better control of his farm management and make more informed decisions quickly.

“I would absolutely recommend Flockwatch to other farmers, the key thing being the simplicity of the app, you don’t have to go into some 6 week training program to master it. It almost seems super expensive and well developed because of its simplicity!”

Download the FREE Herdwatch/Flockwatch app today from the app store/play store.

The Herdwatch farm management app links with BCMS(CTS), ScotEID & APHIS  to help farmers eliminate farm paperwork and make better decisions, you can also view your Milk Recording data from CIS & NMR.

Join over 18,000 other happy farmers saving time on farm paperwork and making better decisions – to find out more information or download the Herdwatch/Flockwatch farm management app, go to www.herdwatch.com or call 0203 773 2763 today.

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Precision farming, which involves the use of technology to improve data monitoring and interpretation on farms, has the potential to bring down food costs, boost growth, and improve agricultural productivity as set out in the government’s growth plan.

Yet only 9% of government grants in England are destined for enhancing farm productivity, which the Social Market Foundation (SMF) says is insufficient for promoting large-scale investment in precision technologies. In its latest report, Moovin’ On Up, the think tank marks uncertainty around future funding as the single biggest barrier to farmers modernising their operations.

Innovative farming tools, such as smart weighing systems, electronic ID (EID) tags, monitoring collars and farm management apps could go a long way towards closing the agricultural productivity gap between the UK and other countries.

Using data from the US Department for Agriculture (USDA), the SMF’s study highlighted the sharp contrast between New Zealand and UK agriculture. Namely, farming in New Zealand has increased its productivity by nearly 70% in the last 30 years, while British farming has only shown a 10% productivity growth (see below).

International comparison of total factor farm productivity. Base (100) = three-year average to 1990. (Source: US Department of Agriculture) Image © The Social Market Foundation

SMF director James Kirkup said that, while this is by no means a criticism of the UK agriculture sector, it is an indication that it could do better. Recognising that technological adoption could be a major driver of growth, the think tank carried out research funded by MSD Animal Health UK to identify the main barriers to precision farming uptake in Britain.

Moovin’ On Up: Key findings and recommendations

Published on 18^th October, the study outlines the main pressures faced by UK farmers in the current socio-economic climate. Other than the productivity challenge, which is largest in the livestock sector, farmers are also expected to respond to environmental pressures such as improving biodiversity and moving towards net zero targets.

Other concerns relate to food production and security, animal health and welfare, and the cost-of-living crisis in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. According to the study’s co-author Aveek Bhattacharya from the SMF, precision livestock farming has the potential to address all of these challenges, alongside improving farm safety and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Despite the considerable gains precision technologies could bring to the livestock sector, the report found that current levels of uptake are “patchy at best”. Data from Defra’s Farm Practices Survey featured in the report shows that regular weighing to measure growth rates is highest in pigs and poultry (64%), while the use of estimated breeding values is most common in the dairy sector (69%).

To gain a better understanding of farmers’ attitudes towards precision technologies, the study’s authors conducted in-depth interviews with 10 livestock farmers across the country.

While rather small, the sample incorporated a range of different farming systems, types of pasture and livestock, and geographical locations to ensure the most accurate representation of the industry.

The results of the study indicate that farmers in general are open to new technologies and many are already seeing benefits, although the full potential of precision tools is yet to be grasped in the farming community. As expected, younger generations were the most optimistic about data-driven farming systems boosting productivity and growth.

Moreover, the findings also suggested that farmers are most likely to trust local, “over the fence” advice when it comes to making investment decisions. However, uncertainty about the future of farming is holding many back from spending on technology, with cost being the number one barrier to modernisation.

Aveek Bhattacharya, chief economist, SMF. Image © The Social Market Foundation

Aveek Bhattacharya, SMF chief economist and co-author of the report said: “When it comes to adoption of new, cutting-edge technologies – key to enhancing productivity – farmers are more than willing but the Government needs to meet them halfway with a better-designed subsidy system.

“Better use of technology in farming could help the Government achieve its objective of boosting economic growth, but only if farm subsidies are well-targeted and offer strong incentives to invest in tools that improve farm efficiency.”

Based on available evidence, the study’s authors formulated a number of recommendations to promote the uptake of precision farming technologies. These include:

• Improving funding incentives for farmers to invest in precision technologies
• Facilitating better knowledge exchange “from the R&D lab to the farm gate”
• Creating better data sharing infrastructure
• Using regulation to promote change, such as mandatory EID tagging
• Rejuvenating farm management by providing new entry schemes and promoting farming to younger generations

Mr Bhattacharya is confident that if these objectives are achieved, farming in Britain can be shaken up towards a more efficient and productive future.

Relevance to the industry

During a recent media briefing, Thomas Burston, director of policy research at the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission (FFCC) made some comments on the relevance of the report to the industry.

He emphasised the purpose of farming, other than food production, is to manage risks to food security and tackle nature, climate and health crises. He acknowledged the current research as part of the growing body of evidence that uniting these goals is possible.

Mr Burston also agreed that the return on technological investment has to be calculable and fair for farmers and support from policy frameworks will be required to achieve broader farming outcomes.

Ian Anderson, Allflex managing director from MSD Animal Health UK also welcomed the report’s findings and recommendations. At the briefing, he reiterated the importance of research and collecting data in terms of improving animal health and welfare and reducing the strain on the environment.

“All of those [the report’s outcomes] we welcome, because the farming community are very hard working, they are very skilled, and we want to help them to have a profitable and sustainable future. I think this report takes us along that road,” he added.

Independent livestock sustainability consultant Dr Jude L. Capper, who helped inform the analysis in the report, commented:

“It is absolutely crucial that we move the British livestock industry forwards and encourage farmers to adopt technologies that will improve productivity, business resilience and sustainability.

“This report comes at a pivotal moment for evoking change and is an essential component of the knowledge base needed to back recommendations to all food industry stakeholders.”

The SMF report Moovin’ On Up, sponsored by MSD Animal Health UK, is available to view here.

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The data and analytics company predicts climate change and population growth will lead to greater automation in farming by 2030, driven by the need to collect large amounts of data to maximise crop and livestock efficiency.

In its recent report ‘Tech in 2030 – Thematic Research’, GlobalData outlines how technologies such as smart crops will help the industry meet food demands. These automated, self-regulating crops will collect data such as soil quality, growth rate, nutritional content, and fluid intake via numerous sensors.

The data will then be uploaded onto agriculture technology platforms to be analysed by artificial intelligence in order to optimise farm operations. According to Global Data, 2030’s farms will be connected via Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, allowing crops to self-regulate and helping farmers make smarter decisions.

Rachel Foster Jones from GlobalData said technological advances are urgently needed in the farming industry to secure a sustainable future.

“Multiple issues are currently putting pressure on agriculture: climate change is threatening capacity, population growth is accelerating, the amount of available land is reducing, and labour shortages are worsening. Agriculture technology will promise a much-needed solution,” she commented.

Advances in plant breeding and machinery have already made major improvements to farm productivity in recent years. However, the key to the future lies in precision agriculture and genomic research that will boost sustainability and crop resilience to climate change.

As part of what GlobalData bills as the ‘fourth agricultural revolution’, smart greenhouses are becoming more widespread across the globe. Smart greenhouse-related jobs have more than tripled since the start of 2021 as shown on the graph below:

Graph showing an increase in smart greenhouse-related jobs since 2020 (Source: GlobalData Tech in 2030 – Thematic Research report).

In light of these developments, Ms Jones urged young farmers to start working on their technical skills to prepare for the future job market.

“Investment in smart greenhouses is only going to increase as the challenges facing the agricultural sector call for more automation. As automation increases, farmers will be hired more and more for their technical expertise and data processing skills, as well as their knowledge of the agricultural process.”

According to Global Data’s report, the agricultural drone industry has also experienced rapid expansion with a 14-fold increase in patents between 2015 and 2021, making it one of the fastest growing non-military drone sectors. Agricultural drones are unmanned aerial vehicles currently used in agriculture for yield optimisation and monitoring.

Ms Jones added: “Modular-based innovation will mean that drones will be able to undertake advanced crop spraying and terrain monitoring by 2030. The labour crisis and skills shortage will bolster agriculture drone demand, as they will be able to undertake time-consuming tasks.”

To learn more about GlobalData’s Thematic Intelligence report, visit: https://www.globaldata.com/store/report/tech-in-2030-theme-analysis/

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Pat runs Low Melwood Farm, in Owston Ferry, in partnership with his father. The 150ha operation grows oilseed rape, winter wheat, spring barley and spring beans. Over the past season, he has been using digital platform Xarvio Field Manager, as part of a whole field scale trial with BASF, to identify historical productivity trends dating back up-to 15 years and in-season field variation on his farm, which has allowed him to alter and target his inputs more precisely.

Xarvio Field Manager was launched in 2020 as a tool for growers and agronomists to improve collection and utilisation of data through satellite imagery, to help inform decisions throughout the season.

Growers can use the tool to access historical biomass maps, called PowerZone maps, which identify high and low performing field-zones, based on satellite data. In the summer of 2021, using the Power Zone maps, Pat found that there was a fair amount of variation between his crops and was able to manipulate his seeding rates to improve uniformity in the field.

He explained that he used the digital platform to identify historically less productive areas and then apply more seed in those targeted areas.

“It is not low-hanging fruit for a farm of our size to embrace this technology, it does come at a price – but when you have power zones, that have 15 years of data you can access, there is a value to that and I was really surprised how much data was on there,” he said.

“We have also been able to use the latest in-season satellite images to target nitrogen rates to even out fields in the early spring. We were able to create application maps for our spreader, so thinner areas received a higher rate of 60kg/ha of nitrogen and thicker areas were reduced to 40kg/ha.”

He explained that he does not see the technology as a way of using less or more inputs, but optimising the best use of what they have, according to the data shown on the satellite images.

Machinery partner

Pat has partnered with Amazone precision machinery alongside Xarvio Field Manager to get the most out of his seed, fertiliser and crop protection. Amazone manufactures a range of crop establishment and crop care equipment and has been providing seeding, spreading and spraying equipment which can be loaded with a prescription map to carry out a designated task, using information from the Xarvio app.

For this project, the Cayena tine seeder and Cirrus cultivator drill were used for crop establishment and then crop care was carried out using a ZA-TS 3200 Profis Tronic spreader and Pantera 4504 self-propelled sprayer.

Amazone Ltd managing director, Simon Brown, explained that technology is going to prove ‘vital to keeping farming viable’. He said: “We can see obvious added value for farmers when you look at potential overlap savings: chemical savings; reduction in fertiliser usage; making the best use of seed by targeting zones, and in the next year or two, we will get more and more smaller zones, that’s how we will probably keep some active ingredients going, because we’re obviously only putting them where they need to be. Everything that we do is effectively working towards these smaller zones, with more control of what’s going on.”

Targeted input approach

By altering seeding rates in August 2021, Pat was able to see improved biomass consistency across his field by May the following year. He was then able to apply this targeted input approach to his fungicide programme.

Xarvio implementation lead, Luke Pollard explained: “We discussed how to target Revystar XE for Pat’s T2 application, using the latest satellite images, to produce an application map for the sprayer. We maintained the average use at 1.25 litres per hectare, but we varied from 1.0 litre in the thinner areas up to 1.5 litres/ha where there was more biomass and more green leaf area”

Luke added that using a new piece of hardware called Xarvio Connect – which physically connects to the terminal within the machinery – growers can wirelessly ping data backwards and forwards from the Field Manager system to the terminal.

“This allows a grower to, for example, send an application map for liquid fertiliser or crop protection to the sprayer terminal wirelessly,” he said.

Pat concluded: “I’ve been in this game long enough to know that we’ve been able to create many pretty maps for many years, but now a grower my size can actually utilise them,” he said. “It is not information overload, and it comes back to the profitability and efficiency of this farm and it is making an impact. We can all walk and look at our farms and assess them to an extent, but having a tool like this gives you the ability to back up your decision-making process.”

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As the government announces its latest round of grants to help farmers in England purchase high-tech machinery to improve productivity and the environment, an NFU Mutual survey has revealed lack of knowledge is holding farmers back when it comes to agri-tech.

NFU Mutual found almost half (46.2%) of survey respondents said lack of knowledge was holding them back from investing in agri-tech on their farms. Lack of access to finance was the second highest reason limiting respondents (29.8%), followed by uncertainty about the future (17.1%) and supply chain difficulties (6.8%).

Conducted to accompany the rural insurer’s 2022 Agri-tech Report, the survey also revealed that just under half of farmers responding (46.9%) would consider using autonomous agricultural vehicles on their farm, while 13.9% said they were planning to invest in agri-tech this year.

Charlie Yorke, farm insurance specialist at NFU Mutual, said: “Technology is set to revolutionise farming, increase productivity and help move UK agriculture towards its goal of being carbon neutral by 2040.

“While many farmers are open to using technology, lack of understanding of new technologies and the investment they entail, means they are hesitating to take the plunge. Understandably, there’s a real fear amongst farmers that they could make the wrong tech-choice for their farm and end up with an expensive system that becomes outdated quickly.

“To make the right investment, farmers need to work closely with system suppliers, leading agricultural colleges, and other farmers to make sure they make the best decisions for their business.

“Holding back runs the risk of falling behind as global competition increases and UK farming support changes.”

Ali Capper, an NFU Mutual non-executive director and agri-tech pioneer at Stocks Farm on the Herefordshire/Worcestershire border, highlighted the environmental benefits of using innovation. She said: “We must all have the climate change agenda at the heart of what we do and the decisions we make.

“The good news is that many agri-tech innovations will help us to be kinder to the farmed environment as well as more efficient and profitable.

“To achieve long-term sustainability and reduce fossil fuel use, at Stocks Farm we have adopted a whole-of-farm approach to growing, pest control, and picking automation.”

NFU Mutual has shared the following advice for farmers contemplating agri-tech investment:

• Review the farm’s long-term strategy and then identify how technology and the use of detailed data could help you achieve your goals
• Explore technology systems which integrate not only with your farm’s activities but also your supply chain
• Keep up to date with developments and ensure you have the management skills to adopt technology and successfully master the opportunities
• Consider working with other farms, as cooperation can help achieve economies of scale both in the use of new technology and the adoption of farmer-friendly supply chains
• Understand the potential risks and knock-on effects that new technology can cause and the solutions to mitigate these.

The NFU Mutual Agri-tech Report can be downloaded here:  https://www.nfumutual.co.uk/campaigns/agri-tech-report/

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The spread pattern can be verified using the EasyCheck mats.

Granular mineral fertilisers are manufactured globally and traded commercially around the world with the emphasis very much on price per unit and not necessarily on field support with regard to spread pattern. From a grower’s point of view, the buying process needs to take place with an eye firmly on the spreadability of the product, as well as the cost. Even fertilisers of the same chemical composition and nutrient value will vary in spread pattern due to changes in granule size, bulk density, granule strength, surface finish, etc.

To get the best out of any fertiliser spreader, it is imperative that the provenance, and hence these physical properties of the fertiliser are known so that a start point as to where to set the spreader can be identified. The spread pattern can be checked over the trays to verify that these settings are right for the actual fertiliser delivered.

“Our history in offering help and advice on spreader calibration goes back decades with Amazone engineers carrying out hundreds of field calibrations in the 80s and 90s throughout the spring spreading season,” recalls Simon Brown of Amazone Ltd. “Field testing was designed to not only check that the spreader was in good order but also to give peace of mind that the spreader settings found in the indoor test hall were correct for the actual fertiliser purchased.

“We introduced our FertiliserService support scheme more than 25 years ago to give farmers the chance to check with the spreader manufacturer as to the latest, up to date information on where to set the spreader. This service was also live online back at the turn of the century,” explains Simon.

But these days, he adds, that information is even more accessible on the move with the Amazone mySpreader app, which replaces both the earlier FertiliserService app and the EasyCheck app – combining both spreader settings and spread pattern verification into one app. This app holds a database of tens of thousands of known fertilisers from around the world and, having set up your machine profile, can be searched by brand, country of origin, nutrient value or physical properties to give that best match possible from the data available.

The app then gives the operator the required settings – disc speed, delivery point position, calibration factor for the weighing system, border spreading settings for yield-, border- and watercourse-oriented headland spreading, as well as the switch positions for the automatic, 128 section GPS-Switch dynamic headland control. And using the SpreaderConnect Bluetooth dongle, the information from the app can be directly loaded into the spreader if desired.

Once the information is loaded into the spreader, then the spreading operation can begin and the spread pattern verified over the EasyCheck mats. The 16 purple stippled rubber mats are laid out in the field, then spread over and the contents of each mat is photographed using a smartphone and the number of granules per mat is ‘counted’ and the resulting spread pattern is then verified by the app as being good, or in need of a tweak, against the initial settings given by the app. Again the settings in the spreader terminal can be refreshed using the Bluetooth connection.

The myagrirouter app enables seamless transfer of data to the spreader, Amazone says.

“Also included in the mySpreader app is the EasyMix function which can be used as an aid for spreading blended fertilisers. The constituent materials, such as muriate of potash, triple super phosphate, plus nitrogen of some sort and maybe some trace elements, can be all jointly selected in the app, which then predicts the best average setting for those constituents – a real boon when it comes to handling blends,” Simon goes on to explain.

The ability of a fertiliser spreader to carry out site-specific, variable rate application goes without saying. Pre-prepared application maps are loaded via Isobus TaskController and the signal to change application rate is then sent to the shutter system on the move. With tramline widths increasing, the grid size of each variable rate zone is then also increased. The software in the Amazone terminal allows multiple application maps to be loaded to run concurrently; this system is known as MultiBin and enables the spreader to have one rate from the left hand shutter and one rate from the right; thus halving the size of the grid offering potential fertiliser usage savings by the increase in accuracy.

Data transfer to and from the spreader is also now simplified by using agrirouter. Agrirouter offers a data exchange platform without any data storage or potential breach of confidentiality. Any files, such as application maps, can be transferred from agronomist to farm, etc. at the click of a button. And then, by utilising the myAmaRouter app, a hotspot with the fertiliser spreader’s Isobus terminal can be created to allow direct loading of VRA maps to the spreader without the need for a USB stick. Any completed jobs can also be exported back to the farm’s FMIS via myAmaRouter making data exchange safe, cheap and simple, Amazone says.

“Even with fertiliser prices as they are, the cost to benefit ratio is still good as long as the spreader is working at peak performance and what we have endeavoured to do at Amazone is to make sure that the operator has every tool possible to get the best out of their machine,” concludes Simon.

The mySpreader and myAmaRouter apps can be downloaded from the relevant app store free of charge.

The post Technology to get the best out of your fertiliser spreader appeared first on Farmers Guide.

The digital assistant from Trinity AgTech, launched in June, now integrates even more closely with your business and helps you assess what you do, ensuring you can access new income streams in farming.

Sandy is already recognised across the industry as the leading authoritative and independent software for all who manage the land, the company says. It calculates, evaluates and reports carbon, biodiversity and water stewardship metrics. This helps you assess your natural capital assets and plan your journey for leaving the land in a better state than you found it.

Sandy version 2.0 includes improvements to make it easier to bring your business on board, and to get started on the journey. Sandy’s engineering team has worked closely with the Trinity Pioneers, those farmers already using the software, to ensure it’s intuitive and that being in control of your natural capital is effortless.

“As farmers, you know best how to manage your natural capital assets – till the soils, tend the livestock and enrich the wildlife habitats in your care,” notes Trinity AgTech senior managing director Richard Williamson.

“Sandy’s there to capture that skill, digitise your achievements and give you the recognition you deserve. It’s important that a digital assistant works hand-in-hand with any farmer, whatever size and enterprise mix of your business, however you choose to run it. Sandy version 2.0 provides a significant step-up in the assistance you’re provided in evaluating where you are and achieving your objectives. It supports you in being at the forefront of technological developments in farming and accessing exciting new income streams.”

New features include more intuitive and easier on-boarding, enhanced road-map development and optimisation. At every step and in every section, Sandy updates users on their progress, whether that’s in capturing information on their carbon footprint, assessing biodiversity or monitoring the water that passes through the land. Self-learning features have been introduced, co-designed with Trinity Pioneers, to help users through the journey and make the most of Sandy’s powerful software engine.

“Unique with Sandy are its artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning (ML) capabilities,” notes managing director of products Sepi Honarmand. “We have developed a best-in-class platform called Cayley. This ensures the more you use Sandy, the more it learns about your business and adapts to your individual needs – a bit like on-the-job training you have for the rest of your farm staff. It means you can make the most of Sandy’s remarkable ability to devour data and apply this to meet the challenges your business faces,” she explains.

Sandy allows access to vast datasets on aspects such as climate, soils and commodity markets. It aligns the data it draws with unique features of your farm and the priorities you have for the business. This is how Sandy puts users fully in control, not only of their own natural capital, but of how it can be leveraged to generate carbon credits, biodiversity and water protection co-benefits, and biodiversity tokens as these markets develop.

“These are markets with exciting prospects for farmers and land managers,” adds Richard. “But they operate in the digital space, and only those businesses that are connected and digitally enabled will be able to access the rewards available.”

Trinity’s seven steps to natural capital rewards include demo videos and other tools to help you get your business digitally enabled and guide you on this journey. For more, go to trinityagtech.com/credits-tokens

The post Latest software brings new level of control to farmers appeared first on Farmers Guide.