Variable seed rate on the go,do many of you use it?

[Clive]

Technology for technology's sake, unless you farm on a huge scale.
Farmers just love making things complicated and expensive.

not sure it's scale dependant now as most seem to charge per ha ??

most modern kit has the ability to to the VRA applications anyway these days so not really much extra cost there if you are a farm that has a reasonably modern fert spreader

re over complication, you may well be right ! certainly was the case last time I went down this road ! Let's hope the agronomy has caught up with the tech finally this time !

 

[Shutesy]

Technology for technology's sake, unless you farm on a huge scale.
Farmers just love making things complicated and expensive.

I wouldn't say thats a very accurate statement at all! Where, what and how many acres do you farm?

 

[Case290]

the trouble with all these things some body has to do it set it up
and then you find your the only bluster that can operate it.

 

[Clive]

the trouble with all these things some body has to do it set it up
and then you find your the only bluster that can operate it.

been playing with the Rhiza toolbox today and its very simple - if you can open a web browser and post on this forum then you would be IT literate enough to use it I would say !

last time I did this you had to be master of Gatekeeper PF mapping and that takes a lot of effort and IT ability to learn to use well

 

[Honest john]

Wheat has amazing powers to adjust its self to cover the ground.
I just don't get it.
Even on rape beans must the same.

It's for the young high tech men but doubt it will show a return.

 

[Stephen E]

I find manually adjusting seed rate is fine if you remember to do it. On a few occasions I have increased the rate on a heavy part, then the phone goes and I realise I haven't reduced it on the lighter ground.
I think the idea of creating an even crop is a bad one, as certain parts of a field will always yield more. Better to try to maximise the output of each zone and therefore increase the average yield in the process.
VR Seed is also useful where a higher seed rate can help compete in Blackgrass areas.

 

[tullah]

Just wiz over ploughed and pressed land with a Kuhn aerospreader with full control of rate on the move. Seed drops into the slots. Harrow in after and low cost substitute for drilling

 

[Case290]

Yep I forget too some times , end up drilling higher seed rate wrong end the field. I'm prepared to put up with it not going back to vra in a hurry.

 

[cricketandcrops]

Does anyone map BG in order to choose seedrate increases around bad patches?

http://www.omniaprecision.co.uk uses multiple layers of data for production of seed rate maps

 

[JCfarmer]

I use variable seed rate manually, we had it on our 4m kuhn venta drill, electric motor which pushes the metering unit in and out to a set % increase, you set manually ie you set it to 20% say and thats it with out getting out and setting to a different %. Worked great and is for sale in classifieds with many other extras!
Now have variable rate on a kuhn megant with Quantron box, different again with an electric motor increasing speed for seed rate. Now I have auto steer( which is a lot better than I expected and wouldn't be with out!) I find it so much easier to alter seed rate on the move and find it invaluable now. As others have said you can increase it in areas to compete with blackgrass, stoney areas, heavy nasty areas etc etc. I also increase it on the headland run(half drill width of 3m). Sometimes I increase seed rate by up to 50% but will only drop it by 20%( why would you drop it lower with slugs, flea beetle etc???) from the norm and I use it on all crops including osr. What else would you do if you had auto steer and a blue tooth radio? 90% of the time I remember to turn it on and off in the right areas which I think can be more accurate than mapped fields because correct me if I am wrong but they tend to allow for zones of 4 or 5 areas in say an 8 ha field? I probably have 2 or 3 times as many as that. I find we have much more even establishment.

 

[Steevo]

http://www.omniaprecision.co.uk uses multiple layers of data for production of seed rate maps

Created by some ex-staff of a certain mapping company who jumped ship to Hutchinsons.

From what I've seen it look a good system....if you know the right questions to ask, and can input the right data to create what you want. Otherwise, it can be an expensive (money and time) way of keeping yourself busy.

 

[Steevo]

I use variable seed rate manually, we had it on our 4m kuhn venta drill, electric motor which pushes the metering unit in and out to a set % increase, you set manually ie you set it to 20% say and thats it with out getting out and setting to a different %. Worked great and is for sale in classifieds with many other extras!
Now have variable rate on a kuhn megant with Quantron box, different again with an electric motor increasing speed for seed rate. Now I have auto steer( which is a lot better than I expected and wouldn't be with out!) I find it so much easier to alter seed rate on the move and find it invaluable now. As others have said you can increase it in areas to compete with blackgrass, stoney areas, heavy nasty areas etc etc. I also increase it on the headland run(half drill width of 3m). Sometimes I increase seed rate by up to 50% but will only drop it by 20%( why would you drop it lower with slugs, flea beetle etc???) from the norm and I use it on all crops including osr. What else would you do if you had auto steer and a blue tooth radio? 90% of the time I remember to turn it on and off in the right areas which I think can be more accurate than mapped fields because correct me if I am wrong but they tend to allow for zones of 4 or 5 areas in say an 8 ha field? I probably have 2 or 3 times as many as that. I find we have much more even establishment.

You can have as many zones as you want, whatever size. Some of the zones can be the same (e.g. sand loam) or each could be totally different depending on what you are mapping.

 

[cricketandcrops]

Created by some ex-staff of a certain mapping company who jumped ship to Hutchinsons.

From what I've seen it look a good system....if you know the right questions to ask, and can input the right data to create what you want. Otherwise, it can be an expensive (money and time) way of keeping yourself busy.

Oh aye yes some very useful colleagues who know the system inside out.....It is very easy to use, even I can do it! Trialling it on two farms this spring, if I get round to it tomorrow will post a couple of maps I've drawn

 

[Steevo]

Out of interest, are those farms you are trialling it on paying for the software?

I'm just curious really. I've seen it being rolled out for a year or more but I'm unsure how many will put their hand in the pocket for it, especially in the current climate.

 

[cricketandcrops]

Out of interest, are those farms you are trialling it on paying for the software?

I'm just curious really. I've seen it being rolled out for a year or more but I'm unsure how many will put their hand in the pocket for it, especially in the current climate.

My two are trying on a field each to use as local demo farms, VR vs flat rate, so might do a deal with them!!! Also looking at zonal soil analysis for VR nutrition, plus shape files for application of herbicides, and also have ability to interpret yield maps, gonna keep having a play this spring and see what we can do

Can't remember exact figure but now system is fully up and running have quite a high amount of ha signed up nationally, hopefully more info will be appearing in national press

 

[Steevo]

Thank you. I can see this being the future. It will allow agronomists to have much greater input into farms and their decisions hopefully too. More of an all round cropping business advisor.

Are you having rollout events across the county? Saw John Pelham speak at a HLH event near Ledbury this morning discussing just this.

 

[JCfarmer]

My thumb is less expensive but I may have to get it insured. If its too expensive, too much of a faff and doesn't more than cover the cost then......

 

[Clive]

I think regular NDVI or SAR images should be a important tool for agronomists to help them target their crop walking better, Rhiza have an app called see crop which is very simple and shares the images with all farm staff and my agronomist via smart phone, they can all mark problem areas or issues that require more detailed inspection live from the field

On larger units I think this regular satellite view of the farm could be a very handy tool rather than relying on just feedback from sprayer drivers etc if you hope to maintain the kind of attention to detail that is possible when managing smaller acreages and is the key to good average yields

 

[cricketandcrops]

I am a big believer that it needs to be a triangle approach e.g. Farmer + Agronomist + Technology all working together and if any of the three way link is broken it won't be of benefit, the technology is second to none so therefore has every chance.

Not sure about national events I can only speak for my area however I am planning some smaller group sessions so growers can get more understanding of Omnia.

Saw some pics on Twitter earlier of breakfast meeting, John is one of the best speakers around, always enlightening listening to him.

 

[Clive]

today we are doing N1 on OSR

This field is very variable in GAI lot of soil type variation in the 40ac field - small plants at the south east end and very thick over to the north western side , product rates from 179 L/ha of product up to 450 L/ha is a fair variation IMO

will have a lot on flat N rate OSR to compare it against to see if its worthwhile