As COVID-19 continues to limit social interaction, this month brought another jam-packed schedule of Zoom meetings and briefings for the CPM team.

Among these, was an update from xarvio and an insight into the latest Innovation in Agriculture survey results, which raised some pretty interesting points regarding the adoption and perception of digital technology.

While digital tools and precision farming aren’t new concepts to UK growers, it’s certainly a developing area, with the survey showing that growers are now recognising they can achieve better yields and manage inputs better – and 73% using such tools for more than a year.

However, though these tools can provide significant value for farm businesses, for some time now, the industry has been calling out for better connectivity, which appears to be limiting progression.

The xarvio survey reflected this, with systems, platforms and equipment that are compatible and connected coming out on top as one of the key factors needed to make digital tools and precision farming an integral part of farming practice.

It seems to me, that while many firms and developers keep adding functionality, the fundamental need for better two-way data transfer and connectivity is being overlooked.

We’ve been banging the drum for quite some time on this topic, and in a feature earlier this year we challenged two of the biggest names in the business who both agreed more needs to be done, so where do we go from here?

If we don’t tackle this issue sooner rather than later, I fear that digital technology providers will fall into the same trap as the government may currently find themselves edging towards, with many starting to lose confidence, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a backlashrom growers who will seek other ways of monitoring and managing their on-farm data.

That said, a number of manufacturers seem to have taken the feedback on board, with Fendt recently announcing the launch of its new “FendtOne” system which sets to ease some of the issues by enabling connectivity with  an interface to independent exchange platform, agrirouter.

After much industry anticipation, Farmplan also recently announced a long-awaited Gatekeeper update that delivers integration with John Deere Gen 4 yield data.

The John Deere Gen 4 integration will be released in phases, starting with Yield data. This new functionality will enable users to import yield maps, and therefore view the variation in performance across the field and the information can then be used to make more informed management decisions.

These are just a few examples to show that digital technology providers are making steps in the right direction, but arguably, it’s not quick enough.

With the aftershocks of the pandemic likely to be felt for some time, connectivity has never been more important, and to stop this block on progress, it’s crucial that we keep calling out the systems that don’t allow us to be flexible with our own data as we strive for a better connected industry.

xarvio updates

As well as giving growers an insight into the survey results, xarvio recently announced updates to its Field Manager service.

New for this year is the Leaf Area Index (LAI) biomass map which, in a nutshell, provides users with a measurement that looks at all leaf area in the field.

This means that growers are able to follow the variability of the crop – from stem extension in March, right the way through to harvest.

Subsequently, monitoring crop development for more of the growing season allows farmers to better optimise application planning, and compared with NDVI-based maps, this system reduces saturation issues.

When teamed with the Zone Spray function, users can also plan for variable application of fungicide/PGR/nutrition using Biomass and Power zone maps. Somerset grower Mark Doble is one of a number who’s taken the system through an on-farm trial this season.

Originally hailing from Devon, Charlotte Cunningham is now based in Warwicks and when not busy filling the pages of CPM, can be found in the garden or exploring the countryside with two crazy spaniels in tow. charlie@cpm-magazine.co.uk @charcunningham