SOYL Newsletter April 2014

1. Still time for variable N application

Though the end of April has arrived, there is still time to use variable rate applications of nitrogen to manage winter wheat and winter barley. There are still at least four weeks of satellite image acquisitions which could help identify variation in crop canopy development and enable you to achieve the best possible yield without being financially wasteful.

By signing up to SOYLsense, growers can access all future images for this season with detailed data for individual farms, as well as the ten satellite images of the UK that have been collected since mid February. SOYL’s dedicated office team are also available to help manage any in-field variation by providing support in using the service and creating nitrogen plans for you if needed.

2014 has been the most successful season to date for SOYLsense. With over 20% more users than last season, the service has already benefited winter wheat, winter oilseed rape, winter barley, spring barley, winter oats, rye and grass.

Variable rate PGR trials have also been launched this year, using satellite imagery to identify crop thickness and thus allowing more PGR to be applied where the crop is denser. This trial has proved popular with growers this spring when managing forward winter OSR.

The addition of the handmade tool on the website allows customers to draw in their own zones to application plans. This can help manage areas of pest damage, differing soil type and trial areas. It also provides users with more freedom to manage and control their application plans to ensure optimum yields are achieved and fertiliser is used efficiently.

For more information, please speak to your usual SOYL contact or call the SOYLsense team on 01635 204198.

2. Talk to the experts at summer open days

This summer, Frontier will be holding a number of open days at demonstration sites across the country to share the findings of its research and development work with growers on a real farm scale.

Local experts will be on site to give guided plot tours and explain the proven results of research in conditions representative of growers’ own farms, with all the advice and evidence to help make the right decisions for your farm business.

You can speak to a SOYL representative and view SOYL mapping that has taken place at the following events. To book your place, visit Frontier's events page.

3. 2015 cropping requests

Fertiliser plans and preparations for autumn should be completed well in advance to ensure your business runs smoothly all year, so submitting your cropping plans for next season now is recommended.

Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you need a form to fill in. You can also submit direct from Farmade Gatekeeper or Muddy Boots Crop Report.

4. Farm software developments

Our industry leading IT solutions are essential for smooth, efficient farming and we’re always looking at how further developments can be made. To help us do this, Guy Curtis recently joined the SOYL team as farm software co-ordinator.

Guy has a wealth of knowledge and expertise in all aspects of on-farm technology, including previous work at Farmade. He will be involved in the development and support of MySOYL as well as managing compatibility with other software, such as Gatekeeper and Muddy Boots.

Don’t forget you can follow us on Twitter @SOYLprecision for regular updates on soils, nutrients, machinery and GPS.