IPF TESTIMONIALS
Ramsbury Estates Ltd (Farming 1720 ha)
Ramsbury Estates Ltd has been involved with The Courtyard Partnership ' Intelligent Precision Farming' system since the autumn of 2003. Farming 1720ha in 2006, all our arable land has now been zoned to provide a detailed soil map. Our requirements were for a simple system requiring limited technological know-how, based on common 'farming' sense using the varied soil types on our farm as building blocks.
The system has reached all our expectations and the back up from The Courtyard Partnership has been exceptional. Along with some limited use of organic fertilisers, the need for P, K & Mg fertiliser alone has dropped from a high of £21.93/ha in 2003 to a current level of £14.30/ha a saving of £7.63/ha. We are now using the system with nitrogen in conjunction with n min testing and tiller counts and hope to start varying seed rates in the spring of 2007.
The system is simple and easy to use, it saves us money, provides sound cross compliance and good farming practice references, and the technology works in an agricultural environment.
Mr Duncan Lee - Farm Manager
Agrarian Management Services, Cirencester (3400 ac)
Agrarian Management Services Ltd (AMS) have developed a close association with The Courtyard Partnership in recent years. They attracted our business with their professionalism, knowledge and practical approach to soil management.
AMS have now applied Intelligent Precision Farming to all the land it farms with a view to targeting inputs to soil type and texture. I have always been concerned about the appropriate application of precision farming technology to generate a 'cost benefit' having being involved in combine yield mapping in the early years when this was new technology. It is the application of the data collected that is critical to the overall effect this will have on a farm's profitability whilst environmental benefits are immediately demonstrable.
Soil zoning and subsequent sampling data has been collated and transferred to our Amais mapping system for current and future reference. Targeted applications of P and K will be made in 2007; this will enable us to recover the zoning and sampling costs in the first year. We are now more comfortable that our liming sampling is independent of the lime provider, and are intending to undertake some variable nitrogen application this spring using The Courtyard Partnerships N-sensor.
I would recommend the approach The Courtyard Partnership take to anyone who is enthusiastic about a pragmatic targeted approach to soil (and thus crop) nutrition with a firm focus on enhancing profitability."
Mr D P Hardy - Managing Director
C.W. Nash Farms Ltd, Wantage (3500 acres)
We have used Intelligent Precision Farming for two years now and have found that the improved application of P, K & Mg fertiliser has provided us with valuable savings on our fertiliser expenditure. We also believe it has improved our environmental farming practice by reducing unnecessary fertiliser applications.
The soil analysis of the individual zones has given us a clear picture of the nutrient variation within our fields, and presents a useful record to refer to when comparing yield data shown by the yield mapping system on the combine.
Mr C.W. Nash