| 67 Precision technology a boon for farmers Farmers are looking to maintain their production while they lessen their impact on the environment. Kelly Deeks RURAL SERVICES » JCL Contracting Ltd Western Bay of Plenty agricultural contractor Japie Jordaan, of JCL Contracting, has recently invested in new precision technology, unlocking an improved level of service to farmers by enabling variable rate spreading of fertiliser and compost. “The benefits are that my customers will be able to reduce both expenditure and environmental impact with a targeted approach in order to optimise their farm’s unique agricultural potential,” he says. Japie has been servicing customers across the bay since 2008, and is one of the first local contractors to adopt this technology. To bring this to market, he is working closely with Willem Engelbrecht and Dave Russell-Rockliff, of Revive Soil Solutions NZ, a precision agriculture service provider which offers practical agronomic advice based on insights gained from geospatial and nutrient analysis. Revive Soil Solutions is concerned with leaving the environment in a better condition for future generations, and operates under the Maori world view of kaitiakitanga, or caretaking. Willem has been a farmer for 25 years and says he will always think like a farmer. “This is a solution and we need to educate the farming community, provide them with the tools they need to survive, and help them to unlock the potential of their farms.” Revive Soil Solutions reviews pasture and crop performance using either satellite NDVI or drone orthophotos to generate a grid overlay, from which soil nutrient values are taken and measured over time at specific geographic locations across the farm. ent levels up to optimum, then verifying that with future testing. “Because we don’t apply excess nutrients, the loss to the environment is minimal, and because you use less fertilizer, your carbon footprint is lower.” One of JCL’s customers recently said he has been applying the same amount of fertiliser across his farm for 35 years, but now he has seen the nutrient maps and the variability he can www.holmesbearings.co.nz 79B Hull Road 07 575 0504 sales@holmesbearings.co.nz Proudly supplying Fendt Tractors to JCL Contracting Ltd Waikato Tractors Hamilton & Otorohanga 07 843 7237 waikatotractors.co.nz says you’re serious. understand why parts of his farm consistently do not perform as well as others. “It just takes a targeted approach, and our solution starts to make sense to farmers when they see what it can do. “It is inspiring that a local contractor has understood the regulatory pressures that farmers are now experiencing, and has been willing to take the lead by investing in new methodology and technology to deliver a service that better meets the needs of farmers.” Japie saw this as something his customers could benefit from, so he invested in the spreader technology he needed to allow him to import the custom variable rate application prescriptions that Revive Soil Solutions generates. This prescription then enables the spreader unit to leverage its GPS position to control the application rate, ensuring the right amount of product at the right place. “With new regulations and the rising cost of fertiliser, farmers are looking to maintain their production while they lessen their impact on the environment, lower their emissions, be more efficient, and save money,” Willem says. “This technology allows a holistic and targeted approach to applying the right amount of nutrients – and only where it’s needed. This approach addresses the individual soil properties across your farming operation, and we can then develop a strategy to fix issues over time, bringing nutri-
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