Plenty of buzz at cereals

Last week’s Cereals Event was all a-buzz with the sound of drones being demonstrated, while elsewhere on the site autonomous weeding vehicles went almost silently about their business.

This was the year that new data collection and analysis technology – increasingly being used to pinpoint the well-being and needs of horticultural and arable crops – came to the fore.

In the new Drone Zone, pilots captivated visitors with what for many was their first close-up view of a drone in flight.

It was advantage to the rotorcraft devices in this instance, because they could be flown safely within the confines of a large net cage when the fixed-wing variety clearly could not.

Farm businesses are getting in on the use of drones for remote image and data collection, using specialists in the field. First-time exhibitor, DroneAG, combines expertise in farming, agronomy and drone operation at the Harehope Farm Estate, in Northumberland, where the 6000-acre farming enterprise provides plenty of scope for research and development with a drone.

It produces crop scouting versions of the DJI Mavick mini-rotorcraft and the larger DJI Storm, with bespoke sensor mounting plates and navigation and controller upgrades.

Multi-spectral imaging on the Storm Agri Pro can cover 50ha per flight, pointed out DroneAG, providing data for nitrogen prescriptions, weed and disease detection, and plant counts.

An advanced feature of the SlantRange 3P sensor is that data can be processed in-flight – something that can take a long time on a desktop computer.

“That means an agronomist can have maps available in about 15 minutes and discuss the results with a client there and then,” said Hugh Wrangham, of DroneAG.

The Agras MG-1S eight-rotor drone integrates DJI drone hardware with an advanced flight controller and radar sensing for more accurate automatic height control.

It also comes with an ultra-low-volume spraying system that distributor Crop Angel hopes will be cleared for specialist use such as controlling bracken in difficult to access locations, patch spraying of blackgrass and other challenging weeds, plus general crop protection on fruit and vegetables.

While no crop spraying by aircraft is currently permitted in the UK (other than for controlling bracken), agronomist, Mathew Kealey and farmer, Chris Eglington, of Crop Angel, believe the low-level precision flying capabilities of drones could safely be exploited for this.

Through his company, Agform, Mr Kealey is aiming to exploit nanotechnology for new agrochemical formulations that would extend the flying time of a spraying drone.

* National agronomy services provider, Agrovista – which has depots at Elgin and Perth – has added drone services to its Plantsystems precision farming options.

With access to multi-rotor and fixed wing drones equipped with multi-spectral sensors, the service includes crop scouting flights for weed mapping, plant counts, disease mapping and the like, and data processing for farmers with their own drones.

This joins a range of precision farming options from soil scanning and nutrient mapping/zoning to crop sensor support and yield map processing.

Big yielding soft wheat for Scotland

With the highest treated yield amongst Group 4 soft wheats in northern AHDB Recommended List trials, Savello is being heralded as an attractive new option for growers in Scotland and the north of England.

Launched at Cereals for sowing this autumn, the Syngenta variety also offers the prospect of a prompt harvest and distilling potential.

“Savello has already progressed through initial distilling tests and we hope for full approval after this harvest,” said Samantha Brooke, Syngenta’s seed manager.

That would boost its appeal for blended whisky and bioethanol production, she pointed out, while its strong performance as a second wheat would be useful for growers including more wheat in their rotation for agronomic reasons, or to meet the requirements of the three-crop rule.

Debut for sprayers

the Sprays and Sprayers section, Berthoud rolled out its new-look Vantage trailed sprayer and Househam unveiled the all-new Predator self-propelled machine.

While inheriting the best features of the Tenor sprayers that it replaces, Berthoud’s Vantage incorporates high-spec’ features for growers wanting a high capacity trailed unit for large acreages.

Actiflex II mechanical suspension for the axle is designed to provide variable stiffness independent of the load, but with little maintenance requirement.

Spray plumbing can be managed using manual or electric valves and the sprayer is Isobus compliant for use with Berthoud’s VT Tronic, or a third-party display, or the non-Isobus EC Tronic terminal.

Either way, the control package includes the E-Pilot wireless joystick used for all key operating functions.

There are five sizes from 2800 to 6700-litres, with Axiale II, Kondor and Ektar booms and an auto boom height control system that can be equipped to also handle slope control, slope correction and variable boom geometry.

Househam’s Predator is built to a standardised high spec’ to minimise production complexity and costs, yet with an all-up weight of around 10.5 tonnes to tread lighter on the soil than sprayers of similar size and capacity.

Its uncommon layout is part of the formula – as with the smaller Spirit, the engine is located behind the spray tank, which results in more consistent weight distribution when the machine works its way through a load.

Stainless steel tanks of 4000 and 5000-litres, and a choice of twin and tri-fold 24-36m booms mounted on a pantograph, rather than a mast constitute the main options.

The switch to an MTU four-cylinder engine, rated at 230hp, promises sprightly performance with good economy judging by the results of a test installation in a customer’s Merlin sprayer.

Positioning the engine away from the cab has the added benefit of a significant reduction in noise and heat.

Four-link self-levelling suspension marks a departure from Househam’s Air Ride pneumatic design because apart from being lighter and simpler it is reckoned to be better suited to the Predator’s higher speed and load capability.