Too often it is believed that profitable farming has to come at the expense of the environment, or vice versa. At Springfield Farm, we pride ourselves on producing profitable, commercial crops whilst nurturing our natural environment.
We are testament that conservation farming methods are capable of achieving above and beyond conventional yields and margins. By using strip tillage,not only have we considerably reduced our establishment costs, but our investment has also improved soil structure and organic matter levels. Consequently, in some cases our yields have doubled and we are consistently enjoying healthier and more resilient net margins.
Naturally, a single pass cultivation system requires less machinery than conventional methods of establishment. Less machinery means lower capital investment and lower depreciation. Repairs and maintenance are also reduced, saving on running costs.
Since switching to the Mzuri Pro-Til one pass drill, we have reduced our fuel requirement to around a fifth. This represents a significant saving year on year and has contributed to our profitable crop margins.
By using a one pass system we have greatly reduced the amount of time and labour required to establish a crop. Without the need to plough and power harrow, we have a better window of opportunity to drill and be more timely about our follow-on operations.
Band placing ‘booster’ fertiliser underneath the seed is a more efficient way of applying nutrients by placing them exactly where they are needed, reducing wastage. The roots get a kick start to promote even germination, removing the need for a separate application at the time of drilling.
In today’s volatile market, it can be difficult to maintain healthy crop margins. Strip tillage has dramatically reduced our establishment costs and thus strengthened our position to better cope with market fluctuations. Higher yields and reduced inputs further protect against unpredictable commodity prices.
Since the move to strip tillage, we have achieved significant yield increases across all of our crops. Higher yields have improved the farm’s output and benefited overall farm profitability.
