Farming Monthly National October 2016 | Page 17

| CropTec Precision protection is Crop Angel’s delight.. A passion for precision farming or “farming precisely” was the inspiration for Chris Eglington and Matt Kealey to launch Crop Angel Limited. hris is a forward thinking arable farmer and Matt a qualified agronomist and commercial director within the agrochemical development industry. The pair recognized a need for accurate aerial applications of crop protection products, micro-nutrients and seeds. They have secured exclusive supply positions with many of the multi-national R&D companies and will soon be launching their own range of bespoke, C aerially approved products specifically developed for use with their fleet of approved agricultural UAV’s (drones). Coupling data generated from aerial UAV maps or enhanced satellite images with their UAV sprayers and applicators, the Crop Angel vision is the essence of precision farming. Reduced agrochemical usage, reduced operator exposure, reduced power and machinery costs, reduce impact on soil structure, the environmental benefits alone are considerable. They have exclusive supply positions with many of the multi-national R&D companies Formed in April 2016, Crop Angel is the first company to introduce UAV sprayers in to the UK. They have since secured exclusive and semi-exclusive marketing positions with two of the leading global UAV manufacturers. Working closely with respected research organizations and government bodies they expect to be commercializing in the first quarter of 2017. Griffith Elder celebrate 35 years of weighing grain into store It was in time for the harvest of 1981 that Griffith Elder introduced their first grain weigher to agricultural businesses in the UK. aunched at the Royal Show of that year, the ‘YieldPer-Field’ became an instant success, giving yield information directly off the combine harvester, and also showing the amount in store, after drying. It was an exciting time, and having done the development at Saucemeres Farm, Bishop’s Stortford, courtesy of Mr Andrew Collins, The Yield-Per-Field won a Silver Medal from the Royal Agricultural Society of England. For the first time since the bulk handling of grain became commonplace in the 1960s, farmers were again able to know how much grain they had for sale, as well as getting good accurate management information about how their cultivation practices L www.farmingmonthly.co.uk were performing. The very next year the ‘Ton-Tel’ single axle weighbridge was launched as a low cost alternative to a full size weighbridge, which in those days cost a whopping £35,000. Prices started at £2,900 for the weigher that could weigh all traffic on and off the farm; less than 10% of the price of a full sized weighbridge. Today the company has a wide range of weighin