Detailed soil mapping and variable rate applications are helping L Sweeting & Sons improve crop consistency, target nutrients more accurately and make better use of inputs across a diverse arable rotation in East Yorkshire.

Key farm facts

• Farms 2,000 acres near Goole and the Yorkshire Wolds in the East Riding of Yorkshire
• Cropping includes wheat, barley, vining peas, oilseed rape, sugar beet and potatoes
• Using Contour for 18 months
• Uses RHIZA soil sampling and Contour for variable rate planning
• Works with Agrii agronomist Simon Pilling

SFI support driving digital adoption

Adopting the Soil Assessment (CSAM1) and Variable Rate Application (PRF1) SFI actions was the catalyst for Henry Sweeting of L Sweeting & Sons to adopt the Contour digital farming platform.

Working alongside Agrii agronomist Simon Pilling and the RHIZA soil sampling team, the business has sampled the entire farm over the past year. The resulting data is now being used within Contour to support decision-making across every crop in the rotation.

“We have had an N-sensor on our sprayer for the last 15 years, so we have done variable rate nitrogen over that time. But we have never done variable rate using soil mapping, which is one of the reasons why we got onto Contour.”

“The weather data available on the platform is a nice added extra for us.”

Henry Sweeting, L Sweeting & Sons

Building a clearer picture of soil variability

Farming predominantly silty clay soils, where pH can vary significantly across fields, the business wanted a better understanding of soil variability and a more targeted approach to nutrient management.

Using RHIZA soil sampling data within Contour, variable rate plans were created for lime and fertiliser applications, helping ensure inputs were applied where they were needed most.

“We limed the whole farm after the last harvest using the maps produced in Contour from the RHIZA soil sampling. These were given to the contractor as the basis for the spreading.”

Henry Sweeting, L Sweeting & Sons

Improving efficiency across the rotation

Alongside the additional income generated through SFI actions, Henry sees wider benefits from applying nutrients more precisely across the business.

Rather than focusing solely on reducing fertiliser spend, the objective has been to improve nutrient use efficiency and achieve more consistent crop performance across the rotation.

“Have we used what we apply better? Yes, definitely. And has that impacted margins? Absolutely. The digital technology goes hand in hand with better sprayers and spreaders.”

Henry Sweeting, L Sweeting & Sons

More even crops and reduced lodging

Since introducing variable rate applications based on soil mapping, the business has seen noticeable improvements in crop consistency and reductions in lodging pressure.

More even crops have helped improve management throughout the season while making better use of applied nutrients.

“The amount of lodging in crops that we are seeing has reduced. Our crops also appear more even. It all makes everything much more efficient.”

Henry Sweeting, L Sweeting & Sons

Technology that fits the farm

Ease of use has been an important factor in the successful adoption of digital farming tools across the business.

Henry describes Contour as intuitive and straightforward to use, particularly when compared with some other farm management systems already operating on the farm.

Looking ahead, he is keen to take advantage of the growing interoperability between Contour and TELUS Crop Management following the strategic alignment between Agrii and TELUS.

Results at a glance

• Entire farm soil sampled through RHIZA and mapped within Contour
• Variable rate lime and nutrient applications introduced across the business
• Improved crop consistency and reduced lodging
• Better targeting and efficiency of fertiliser inputs
• Additional income generated through SFI actions

To find out how RHIZA soil sampling and Contour can support variable rate nutrient management on your farm, speak to your local Agrii team.