In an era of extreme price volatility, BASF explains how its cloud-based digital tool, xarvio Field Manager, can help growers manage their inputs more efficiently to minimise risk and provide agronomic insights for crops.
Designed to provide data-driven crop modelling, the tool enables growers to vary their seeding and nitrogen rates to get the most out of costly inputs and assist decision-making on-farm, says BASFs agronomy manager Richard Guest.
It also helps to identify less productive areas of land and assess their suitability for stewardship schemes, he adds.
Having used xarvio Field Manager since 2020, David Hurn, Eastgate Farm, northwest Norfolk, explains how the tool has helped inform decisions on-farm to maximise efficiencies.
Mr Hurn says: After trialling the system with just one field, I now use it across our 166-hectare arable farm. The key for me was the ease with which I set up the system and got it running. I had the whole farm mapped out in a day and could see it on the app on my smartphone, my tablet, the farm office pc and share this information with colleagues.
This season Ive used prescription mapping to drill all my wheat and will be applying all my nitrogen variably.
BASF grower community manager Alice Johnston explains how the wealth of data available from the digital product helps growers.
The key for me was the ease with which I set up the system and got it running - David Hurn
Biomass maps
xarvio Field Manager provides in season biomass maps from satellite imagery so growers can understand their crop development and see infield variability.
It also provides Powerzone maps which are based on up to 15 years of historic satellite biomass data, with the data consolidated to show average productivity of the field.
"Growers are also able to import their own data, such as yield and soil maps, she says.
This allows growers who have spent the money on inputs to be confident they are used in the right place and most efficiently.
And Field Manager helps make good decisions, increasing our margins per hectare, adds Mr Hurn.
By using the data within xarvio, targeted application maps for seed and fertiliser can be created to minimise inefficiencies involved in their application, Ms Johnston says.
Differences in soil characteristics strongly influence the germination rate and yield potential within a field. Field Manager enables growers to create a prescription map for seeding where the base layer can be a yield map or a Powerzone map, or these data layers can be merged to create one base layer.
Mr Guest adds: Growers are able to decide on the base rate for the field and vary it up or down on the prescription map.
And when it comes to drilling, its all about even-ness, which starts with variable seeding, adds Mr Hurn.
We import yield information into xarvio and use these maps as a base layer to vary the seed rate.
Our base rate for the wheat was 180kg/ha last year, with areas down to 160kg/ha but in heavier parts we were up to 240kg/ha.
Fertiliser costs
With fertiliser costs rising, Mr Guest explains how utilising the data within xarvio has helped to create targeted application maps, to allow for more efficient application.
Growers are able to decide on the dose rates and where and by how much they want to vary these rates within the field, he says.
Field Manager enables growers to create a prescription map for seeding where the base layer can be a yield map or a Powerzone map - Alice Johnston
Nitrogen
At Eastgate Farm, Mr Hurn varies his second and third applications of nitrogen.
He says: On the second application I add more nitrogen to the areas showing less biomass on the satellite imagery maps, to even the crop out, as its early enough that tillering can still be encouraged.
On the final application, we reverse the strategy and give more nitrogen to the areas with greater biomass.
Ms Johnston adds: Nitrogen use efficiency not only has crop and monetary benefits, but producing more crop per tonne of fertiliser also lowers the carbon content of the end product, which is key as we move to more sustainable practices.
But while ensuring inputs are applied efficiently to crops is important, growers must also focus on making the best use of their land, she explains.
Integrated within xarvio Field Manager is detailed environmental data, in the form of biodiversity suitability layers from the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.
Ms Johnston says: Not all areas of the farm are equally productive. Being able to see your environmental and agronomic data in the same place allows better, more informed decisions about land use to be made.
Stewardship
Using the system to think carefully about his choice of areas to put into Countryside Stewardship schemes, Mr Hurn says Field Manager means growers are not relying on gut feeling alone.
Practically, I want to remove areas to make the field easier to work but obviously I dont want to remove high yielding areas.
"With Field Manager I know the most suitable areas of the field are taken out of production and I know these are areas where biodiversity will flourish.
Efficient Documentation
Mr Guest says: The easy to use Field Notes tool within xarvio Field Manager will have a value whatever the farm type and comes into its own in the field, helping with documentation and record-keeping.
Growers can create notes with the app on their smartphone. This means written notes, voice memos and photos can be combined with a precise location pin to create a permanent record of activities or areas of interest in a field, such as crop development and variability, weed patches, or wet areas.
"This phone app feature is also useful for growers using variable rate mapping, as live notes can improve the precision.
Mr Hurn explains how he uses Field Notes to provide evidence for environmental land management schemes.
This year we are in the Sustainable Farming Incentive Mid-tier scheme, which means we must keep records of establishment for inspection.
Geolocated
I can walk into a field, take a photo on my phone, which will be time and date stamped, geolocated and uploaded to xarvio Field Manager, which saves time.
Mr Guest adds, Its also a really efficient way for keeping communications open between the farm team as these notes can be easily shared through the cloud-based system with other users.
Its clear that using the wealth of information xarvio Field Manager brings together gives growers the edge, whether they just use it to streamline record-keeping or for prescription mapping.
"We therefore encourage growers to download the app to help achieve efficiencies across the farm.
