SOYL newsletter July 2016
1. SOYL to lead technology research project
As part of an Innovate UK project exploring new ways to improve food production using satellite technologies, SOYL has been chosen to receive a share of £3 million of research funding.SOYL will lead a consortium, including University of Nottingham and AHDB, which will examine historic satellite imagery and weather data to identify trends in crop biomass variation and performance. Other layers of data such as soil and nutrient maps will be used to interpret the patterns, which will then be used to predict growth in future years. The project aims to enable better targeting of inputs and potentially lower cost use of crop imagery along with economic and environmental benefits.
The year-long project officially starts on 1st October 2016. An initial meeting will be held and farms will be chosen to form the core of the project. A database of these farms' historic satellite imagery will be created and yield maps collated to compare with the satellite database to establish any correlations and relationships that exist.
To read more about the project, please click here.
2. Are you ready for autumn drilling?
W
hile the focus is firmly on harvest at the moment, the drilling season is rapidly approaching and growers are encouraged to prepare for getting their 2017 crop off to the best possible start.Using MySOYL, calculating the rates for seed applications is quick and easy. The tool can work out where higher and lower rates are needed for even establishment as well as enabling users to create custom establishment scenarios with temporary adjustments to standard figures. This can be useful, for example, where seed rates need to be increased this year in areas prone to black-grass.
When it's time to drill, these plans can be finetuned and variable rate drilling files can be produced at the press of a button.
Now is an ideal time to let the SOYLseed team know if permanent changes need to made to default establishment data or if significant changes have been made to field boundaries.
To find out more about variable rate seed and MySOYL, contact SOYL on 01635 2014190 or speak to your local area manager.
3. Harvest support for CLAAS yield mapping
Being prepared for harvest is essential and SOYL has been busy helping growers with pre-harvest yield mapping.As CLAAS UK's official precision farming support partner, SOYL provides a year of software support with purchases of new CLAAS combines, including installation and training. Growers can continue to access this support after the first year for a small annual charge.
First time users are advised to contact the team on 01635 204190 as soon as possible to make sure set up can be completed in good time for harvest.
With the busiest time of year now upon us, growers can call 01635 204190 with software queries at any time this summer. If calling out of hours, the number will divert to an answering service and an experienced member of staff will call back promptly to resolve any issues.
4. Submit 2017 cropping plans now to get ahead next season
Planning ahead is key to a successful season and submitting cropping plans early means recommendations can be prepared in good time, allowing growers to make well-considered decisions on fertiliser purchases and planning applications.SOYL's applications team is already producing 2017 season recommendations for P, K, Mg and lime applications, so submit your cropping plans now by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or submitting direct from Farmade Gatekeeper or Muddy Boots Crop Report. Plans should detail any manures or starter fertilisers to be applied, straw baling or incorporation and target yields.
For increased efficiency, the recommendations and spreading files produced for lime can be sent directly to a specified contractor.
To request a crop input form or for any queries, please call 01635 204190 or speak to your local area manager.
5. Meet David Weetman
“I joined SOYL’s PK mapping team during the busy period of August 2015. Now almost a year on, my day to day tasks include processing nutrient maps for growers, booking in lab results, processing trace elements and checking GPS data for inconsistencies.I spend a lot of time producing different trace element maps and Ordnance Survey boundary maps to SOYL’s high quality standards. During the busy season I support the logistics team too, so at the moment I'm helping to manage bookings from area managers for SOYL's nutrient management and SOYLseed services. I also recently started working alongside colleagues in the UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) data processing team. Every job is different, which makes my role interesting. I really enjoy the variation and playing a part in developing SOYL's services.
Being able to assist other areas of the business has helped me to learn a lot about SOYL's products and services. The different teams all work well together which creates a great working environment as well as providing the highest quality service for our customers.
My background is in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial data analysis, so I'm really interested in how GIS can be implemented in the workplace. My transition into a precision farming company and seeing and using GIS programmes first hand at SOYL has been fascinating.”
Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @SOYLprecision for regular updates on soils, nutrients, machinery and GPS.
