Russells Farm Machinery
PLM
provides
accuracy
and cost
saving
Chris Berry talks precision
land management
with Russell’s
» » THERE IS LITTLE DOUBT THAT
precision farming in the shape of RTK base
stations, autosteer, variable rate seeding and
yield mapping is becoming more popular
and more vital every year and machinery
experts Russell’s have long been main
protagonists in the development of greater
usage right across Yorkshire.
PLM or Precision Land Management
as Russell’s term it through the group is
now one of their key priorities and the
countywide RTK network they have brought
about in recent years now sees coverage
through base stations in all arable areas.
This has brought about more affordable
entry into RTK than ever before.
‘Farmers no longer need to purchase their
own base stations,’ says Chris Morley of
Russells. ‘We’ve purchased some of our own
and have teamed up with customers who
had them already to provide an RTK network
that means it costs less to make a start into
RTK than it would have cost previously.
We’re now seeing even greater take up as a
result and our specialist team that includes
David Hirst and Robin Gibson is available to
make sure everyone enjoys the cost saving
benefits.’
Jonathan Rycroft farms 1250 acres via
owned land and other farming agreements
from his family base at Stugdale Farm, near
Flaxton. He and his father John invested in
their own base station fitted by Russell’s two
years ago after having GPS/Autosteer fitted
on a tractor three years ago following advice
from another member of the Russells team,
David Bradley.
16 Summer 2017 www.farmers-mart.co.uk
‘I was very sceptical about PLM but David
kept telling me my life would be so much
easier with Autosteer and he was dead
right. It has made a big difference to drilling,
spraying and spreading. I don’t have to
concentrate on keeping my lines straight
as the tractor, sprayer or spreader is driving
itself. It means I can look for the patches
where I need to plus or minus better and
with less concentration required I can just
keep going. It also allows me to be on the
phone organising the other lads. It’s now
what I call my green office.’
Cost saving is one of the main advantages
of PLM. Accuracy of RTK/ Autosteer is now
down to 2.5cms and Jonathan is seeing first
hand how that helps his operation.
‘We now have no overlap where
previously we would have been over-
applying. If you’ve a man on a machine and
he’s overlapping half a metre or a metre all
the time on cultivation every bout is costing
more money than is needed. It means he or
you are sat on the tractor seat longer, you’re
wearing metal out quicker, using increased
amounts of diesel and your tractor hours
are going up leading to earlier servicing and
parts requirements. When you add up the
savings you can make across 1250 acres
there’s no way you will want to be without it
once you have it.’
Robin Gibson is Russell’s technical expert
on all matters relating to the surveying,
installation and support of PLM products.
Together with combine specialist David Hirst
they now form an important area of Russell’s
on-going commitment to precision farming
in Yorkshire.
‘There was a time when some farmers
felt PLM was something gimicky that they
couldn’t afford,’ says Chris Morley. ‘But
increasingly our arable farmer customers are
recognising that the cost savings they will
achieve far outweigh any other concern they
may have. The RTK base station coverage
now also means the whole package is far
more within their reach. We see this growing
substantially in the coming years.’