In the ten years since WA farmer Phil Longmire completed his Nuffield Scholarship on increasing profitability through precision agriculture, the technology has come a long way but the motivations remain the same.
“We continue to aim to increase the profitability of our own farming operation in an environment of tightening margins, and precision farming solutions help us to make a big impact,” he said.
Mr Longmire runs a continuous cropping enterprise east of Esperance, and he relies on six Case IH AFS Pro 700 displays and one FM 750 display on his fleet of machinery to manage herbicide resistance and improve the efficiency of his controlled traffic system.
“One of the strongest features for us is the ability to switch between tramline and boundary guidance auto-steer,” he said.
“We sow paddocks 1.3 metres out from the boundary.
“This level of accuracy is really important as we slash around the paddock to remove two sown rows just before harvest.
“This reduces the chance of resistant boundary weed seeds moving into the header and being spread over the full 12 metre first lap, and ensures that we don’t increase the chance of resistance spreading quickly.”
Mr Longmire switched to continuous cropping in 2011, growing wheat, barley, canola and peas, and acknowledges resistance is one drawback of the system, but he’s also seen softer soils and increased yields as a result.
He also uses his precision farming technology to redefine his paddock boundaries every year.
“Realignment of paddocks has been a big part of our program,” Mr Longmire said.
“We’re trying to improve the efficiency of our tramlining system by removing fences, realigning tree lines and making sure we can get the most out of it without too much overlap.
“With our variable rate boundary system it’s taken a while to get it right, so driving the headlands on auto guidance has certainly improved our efficiency,” Mr Longmire explained.
“We were averaging a 12 per cent overlap in 2013, ranging from four to 33pc.
“In liquid nitrogen alone this requires an extra 26,000 litres over the program which creates lodging and screenings,” he said.
“On one paddock alone in 2016, with Variable Rate Technology and paddock adjustments, our overlap has dropped by 14pc showing an area sown of one hectare increase but a seven hectare overlap reduction.
With seven displays across his fleet, which includes an Axial-Flow harvester, Magnum and Steiger tractors and a Patriot sprayer, it is important for Mr Longmire to keep a standard platform.
“They’re set up by the Case IH dealership and designed to fit the machinery,” he said.
“If the system’s up and running it’s good for the operator.”
