Looking back, Adam says that innovation turned the worse part of his fields to the best. Fermer Schrers invested about 3,000 Australian dollars in new technologies. And only one economy on fertilizers completely blocked all costs. In addition, the quality of the crop has improved by about a third. Before the introduction of new technologies, the farmer sold as high quality only 70% harvest. Two years after the start of the experiment, 98% of the harvest of vegetables has been purchased from him as high-quality products.
Accurate farming
Adam Sherrs grows celery, leeks and other vegetable cultures. It was their cultivation that was transferred to the technologies of accurate farming. All the works "in a new way" were conducted on a demonstration site with an area of 24 acres (9.71 hectares) on the farm Adam Schres "Bark Lynn", about 80 km south-east of Melbourne. As the main task during the test, effective management of culture nutrition, optimal irrigation, insect monitoring of pests, monitoring the state of the soil were indicated.As part of the technology of accurate agriculture, Cora Lynn was mapping, a regular sampling of soil was carried out, a differentiated fertilizer was applied, remote monitoring of pests, pheromon traps with cameras, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles.
Differentiated nutrition
The first soil samples on the demonstration field showed that the situation in different parts differ significantly. There were plots with poor soils, with a pronounced deficit of the main batteries, were more prosperous. Mapping a demo field, a farmer with the support of Hort Innovation specialists, developed the feeding program. The power program was calculated for each site separately. It was important to accurate fertilizer where the soil and culture needed.
Measurements and analysis of soil after applying fertilizers showed that the main indicators of the quality of Pashnya leveled. Thus, the level of pH increased from 5.2 to a higher 6.3. This indicator is almost ideal for obtaining a good celery harvest. The number of potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and sodium increased and almost occurred.
Differential fertilization maps have shown that in the second year of the experiment, the difference in the quantities of the fertilizers made significantly decreased. If in the first year, potassium sulfate was introduced in different sections from 0.5 to 500 kg / hectare (total number - 2061 kg), then in the second year, the spread of this indicator narrowed: from 250 to 500 kg / ha (total number - 1163 kg ). Lime norms ranged from 0 kg / ha in areas with optimal pH to more than 11 kg / ha in problem places in the north in 2018. And in 2019, in some areas, it was no longer needed in some areas, the state of problem, acidic areas was noticeably improved.
In addition, the total soil texture and the salinity and water content in the soil profile decreased. The soil, which was previously the cause of reducing yield due to overvailing or sealing, this time ensured a high return.
An unexpected and enjoyable result for the farmer and team of experts was the decline in the level of Pythium SPP (to temperate levels) and RhizoCtonia SPP - causative agents of diseases of shoots and rotting seeds. It is not clear why the pathogens level decreased. Perhaps the whole range of applied measures affected, and maybe it was a consequence of changes in the level of humidity of the soil and landing time.
Remote detection of pests
More accurate power management and drainage provided celery optimal conditions for the absorption of nutrients during the summer vegetation period. It remained to protect the culture from pests.The team on the trial site used and calibrated trap for insects for remote monitoring. One of the advantages of remote monitoring was the early detection of the relative pressure of pests and the indication of the time frame and the duration of flights, which changed over the years in the region.
This ensured time savings. But the farmer still added to new technologies the usual traditional "visual exploration", additionally examining the fields of fields in order to correctly and on time to identify the pest types and take measures to combat them.
From cleaning to packaging
Perhaps the most convincing result of the experiment with the use of innovation in the complex was the harvest for the second year. Adam Schrers and his team noted that celery from the demo platform in 2020 broke all previous achievements of the farm - plants were more homogeneous and high-quality. It provided easier sorting and packaging of celery staff, as well as the ability to supply customers a more attractive product. "Having more homogeneous size, we also raised our yield in general," Adam notes. - "The homogeneity of the crop means there are no smaller plants that go to the cheaper market."
Adam now wants to go even further and distribute tested new technologies to other fields. Innovation in his farm will now become daily practice.
Real project
The project "Soil wealth and complex protection of agricultural crops", in which the Vegetable breeding farm Adam Schrers participated, was carried out with the support of the RMCG company and the Institute of Applied Horticultural Research of the Australian Vegetable Industry. The project was funded by Hort Innovation at the expense of special fees (on research and development of technology for growing vegetables), as well as financing the Australian government.
Perhaps it is precisely such - comprehensive - support lacks many agricultural producers when developing new technologies. Including in Russia. The editorial office of the newspaper interviewed its readers - whether they are ready to take part in testing new technologies in their farms, if complete scientific support and partial financing of work are ready.
Alexander Shishkin, Farmer, Sverdlovsk Region: - I would be interested in such a project to participate. Just as long as I do not see in Russia those who are ready to invest in the development of new technologies to farmers.
Sergey Alekseev, Farmer, Orenburg Region: - I would participate in such a project if there was an intelligent curator. We are many "boil in our juice." Practice we have quite far from innovative developments. We only read about them or find out in conversations. It would be interesting to test them in work, especially as so - comprehensively.
We believe that the creation and implementation of such a project in Russia at the federal level would be more useful for the creation of regular "road maps" and other "paper" initiatives, which are unlikely to massively lead advanced technology on Russian fields.
Elizabeth Pospelova
In preparation of the article used Future Furming information