Agronomist visits to the farm.

[Right-arm fast]

How often does your agronomist visit your farm and properly walk your crops?

 

[Flat 10]

Not enough. (flippant but true). Once a fortnight min in growing season, weekly at key stages.

 

[Ugo79]

Once a fortnight min in growing season, weekly at key stages.

Is this what your agronomist currently does or what your expectations are?

 

[Brisel]

Once per fortnight in the growing season. I try to spend more time in the fields myself in the peak period from March to June when fortnightly isn't enough. I aim to be in every field every week.

 

[Boysground]

In the growing season I have a routine fortnightly visit. If I spot anything that needs attention or we have issues he will come out as and when needed. Although these days phones and photos can be quite handy to speed things up. He also has a whatsapp group for all of his customers so if he spots anything urgent we all know very quickly.

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[Big-Al]

Well i have only seen one of mine four times since 7th March, mid May, mid September and October 20th, 4 times in one growing year it's a bloody disgrace, and wants his bill paid upfront. the other one has been out more than several times since September crop walking.

 

[Brisel]

Well i have only seen one of mine four times since 7th March, mid May, mid September and October 20th, 4 times in one growing year it's a bloody disgrace, and wants his bill paid upfront. the other one has been out more than several times since September crop walking.

What deal do you have with the 4 visit one? What are they charging for the 4 visits? If they are supposed to be doing it regularly there's a very short debate on what to do with them!

 

[Audlem Agron]

As an Agronomist you need to get ahead of issues not spot them when they've happened. In the season (March to July) you need to see everything on a seven to ten day basis so you can get the right product on at the right time. Its the timing thats critical. Which means getting it on farm for the right time for it to be applied. Alot can happen in two weeks in May.....

 

[Big-Al]

What deal do you have with the 4 visit one? What are they charging for the 4 visits? If they are supposed to be doing it regularly there's a very short debate on what to do with them!

It's been getting worse the last two or three years, don't get me wrong he is a good agronomist and a nice chap but that doesn't give him the right to do it from his office chair it's not good for us, you need them to be on farm looking at problems, the thousands we spend it needs to be on right at the right time, he is out for about 2 hrs a time (has about 700 acres under his control) and doesn't look at all the crops in that time so about 8 hrs max a year on farm then his time sorting chemicals and recommendations (cost over £7 acre)
I do have a good Agronomist who will replace to start the spring campaign, but haven't done anything yet

 

[Boysground]

It's been getting worse the last two or three years, don't get me wrong he is a good agronomist and a nice chap but that doesn't give him the right to do it from his office chair it's not good for us, you need them to be on farm looking at problems, the thousands we spend it needs to be on right at the right time, he is out for about 2 hrs a time (has about 700 acres under his control) and doesn't look at all the crops in that time so about 8 hrs max a year on farm then his time sorting chemicals and recommendations (cost over £7 acre)
I do have a good Agronomist who will replace to start the spring campaign, but haven't done anything yet

Sounds like it's time to phone the new guy

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[KJM]

Well i have only seen one of mine four times since 7th March, mid May, mid September and October 20th, 4 times in one growing year it's a bloody disgrace, and wants his bill paid upfront. the other one has been out more than several times since September crop walking.

Any difference in crop performance/cost between the two agronomists, or does agronomy from the office work?

 

[Brisel]

Agronomy from the office could be done in TFF too! Just look at what other members in your area are applying (unless they're serviced )...

A BASIS trained farmer could do the crop walking & the agronomist could be on strategic advice/hourly rate. Someone needs to be in the field regularly IMO.

 

[Right-arm fast]

Well i have only seen one of mine four times since 7th March, mid May, mid September and October 20th, 4 times in one growing year it's a bloody disgrace, and wants his bill paid upfront. the other one has been out more than several times since September crop walking.

Well ours is not quite that bad but I don't think he has been out enough. My only other agronomists were all serviced agronomy and they were all good at walking the fields, they just used to use chemicals which suited them rather than us. Interesting to see others are questioning the absence of their agronomist. Ours is here on average about every 4 weeks not as often as I would like. He is very good but not good enough to see from his office chair what is going on in our fields.

 

[Big-Al]

Any difference in crop performance/cost between the two agronomists, or does agronomy from the office work?

Yes the one that doesn't come is cheaper on mixes and the mixes are better. but saying that he does miss stuff and to be fair i could just as easy use last year's rec as he knows for example we have bad cranesbill and hasn't hotted the mix or missed a chemical out, not on the ball. we also have the worst blackgrass in the country.

The other one who comes a lot is a bit cautious and over killer, but we can always pull back on some of the recs to suit if it's getting expensive

Agronomy from the office could be done in TFF too! Just look at what other members in your area are applying (unless they're serviced )...

A BASIS trained farmer could do the crop walking & the agronomist could be on strategic advice/hourly rate. Someone needs to be in the field regularly IMO.

You can get away with agronomy from the office if you live in the same county in which lies some of the problem, almost a different microclimate, feet in the field wins every time.
We are always walking or quad biking across the fields to watch for problems weekly, would be an easy basis farmer so food for thought there.

Well ours is not quite that bad but I don't think he has been out enough. My only other agronomists were all serviced agronomy and they were all good at walking the fields, they just used to use chemicals which suited them rather than us. Interesting to see others are questioning the absence of their agronomist. Ours is here on average about every 4 weeks not as often as I would like. He is very good but not good enough to see from his office chair what is going on in our fields.

We have pulled ours up many a time and threatened to sack him over the last five years, he is ok for a few months then then he falls back into his old ways, i really think he has far to much to walk, well quad bike and with most of our fields over 50 acres an easy farm to do, he also does two neighbours farms too, so well over 1200 acres in this area

 

[Brisel]

Time for a change IMHO.

 

[turbo]

Once a week from march till July and the same from mid September until now (I also have a look usually on a Sunday afternoon)

 

[ollie989898]

Ha ha ha ha massive can of worms explosion!

Truth is you are paying the bloke per acre then they are going to be inclined to to as much as possible. Doesn't take a genius to work out how many acres he needs to cover based on what you are paying.

All I ever heard was complaints about 'independent' agronomists. One was nicknamed the 'invisible man'.

4 times a year? Cripes I walked folks maize more than that.

Walking every week- what are you so worried about? I'd be in someone's beet and spuds that often, perhaps more, other crops would depend on what the circumstances were.

Quad bike? Only works on sensible fields, and once you are past the growth stages it's useless anyway.

Also consider the dark and mysterious world of folk spraying the stuffing out of it in spring thus negating the need to walk ever again.... I used to pride myself on how many fields I never used any herbicide on besides the autumn residuals.... have to walk stuff thoroughly to be able to tell a farmer not to do something. That is how you save money, not by running around trying to buy CMPP the cheapest.

 

[Chae1]

What do people expect?

I generally walk our crops once a week anyway and will contact agronomist if not happy about something.

Guess he walks our crops 3 times per year. Spring barley so short growing season. Make decisions together based on disease pressure and cropping potential.

Serviced agronomist.

 

[ollie989898]

It's been getting worse the last two or three years, don't get me wrong he is a good agronomist and a nice chap but that doesn't give him the right to do it from his office chair it's not good for us, you need them to be on farm looking at problems, the thousands we spend it needs to be on right at the right time, he is out for about 2 hrs a time (has about 700 acres under his control) and doesn't look at all the crops in that time so about 8 hrs max a year on farm then his time sorting chemicals and recommendations (cost over £7 acre)
I do have a good Agronomist who will replace to start the spring campaign, but haven't done anything yet

I'd do it for £7-8/acre based on 18-22 visits, depends on the cropping and how confident you are yourself.

People running around for £3-4 an acre, fudge that. You're mad.

 

[ollie989898]

What do people expect?

I generally walk our crops once a week anyway and will contact agronomist if not happy about something.

Guess he walks our crops 3 times per year. Spring barley so short growing season. Make decisions together based on disease pressure and cropping potential.

Serviced agronomist.

Very much depends on what the farmer wants and is happy with. As you say with spring barley how complicated do you want to make it?