76 | Helping farmers run compliant operations Hyslop Groundspread of Oamaru uses Groundspread NZ’s fertiliser placement quality assurance programme Spreadmark to test its machines every year. Kelly Deeks Huge investment of time, money, and effort by agricultural contractors into the latest precision technology and the training and testing of such is helping farmers to run compliant operations and achieve optimum productivity. Hyslop Groundspread of Oamaru uses Groundspread NZ’s fertiliser placement quality assurance programme Spreadmark to test its machines every year, and audit its trained operators and quality management system to ensure farmer outcomes are met and environmental sustainability is protected by the accurate placement of fertilisers in locations where they can provide the most agricultural benefit, and the least environmental harm. “If you get it wrong, it costs tens of thousands of dollars in a high-yield crop,” says Hyslop Groundspread owner Nick Hyslop. Since the synthetic nitrogen fertiliser cap came into effect in Juky 2021, Nick says more and more farmers are getting involved with precision technology which requires less nitrogen to grow more, and also provides the proof of placement information they need for compliance. “With that and the fertiliser co-ops running their own schemes, we are seeing a lot more collaboration between farmers, operators, and the fertiliser companies all sharing their data to make it easier for everyone.” All of the proof of placement data Nick collects in his vehicles through GPS guided proof of application and job management system Tabula can be sent to the fertiliser companies and collated in one place so when it comes time for reporting on compliance, the information is readily available and accessible for all. “It’s all about building a bigger picture,” Nick says. Nick has been in the fertiliser industry all his life. Brought up in fertiliser trucks then following his dad into the groundspread industry, Nick started out with no technology in the trucks and a very manual-based system. “We used to meet the farmer at the gate and take their map to the paddocks. It was a pretty hit and miss system. RURAL SERVICES » Hyslop Groundspread Now there is so much work going on to make sure everything is tested and calibrated and spreading correctly, and there is a lot of proof that everyone is doing things properly.” Nick can now look back into his whole time in business and see exactly what, when, and where he has put on fertiliser and he says this is an incredible advantage. LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED Ph 03 434 6801 - 24 Hours Advantage Tyres Oamaru - 72 Humber Street Proudly supporting Hyslop Groundspread • On-Farm Service • Recamic Cold Retreads • Wheel Alignment • Michelin New Tyres • BF Goodrich 4x4 • Full Fleet Service Parkside Quarries — Supplying lime to local farmers for 75 years LIMECONTACT US FOR: • Fine Lime • Dried & Undried agricultural lime • Track Lime • Customised Fertiliser blends • Rut Busta - rock for pivot tracks Getting your hands on Parkside Lime is super easy. To order or enquire call the Parkside team on 03 433 1134 or email sales@oamarustone.co.nz PROUDLY SUPPORTING HYSLOP GROUNDSPREAD AGRICULTURAL LIME PRODUCTS At the same time, his back office workload has increased as he collates all his data. “Every day there is an hour’s worth of office work to keep all the information flowing through.” Like a lot of the groundspread industry, Nick is a sole operator so that work falls to him and that time has to be made. Quite a lot of it can be done from his cell phone and Nick says this is pretty amazing. While compliance issues have given a lot to complain about, Nick says the upside is the continuous improvement it promotes within the industry. “As soon as you start testing the gear, you try to improve it, and I think that’s where putting compliance in means you’re always trying to make improvements. If you don’t have to comply, you never really improve.”
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