07 November2022, Australia: The drive for improved nutrient use and more sustainable production for farmers has led Elders and Precision Agriculture Pty Ltd to form a new partnership.
The new arrangement gives Elders clients easier access to Precision Agriculture’s specialised services such as the creation of soil management zones, customised soil testing and identifying key soil constraints.
Precision Agriculture also offers variable rate fertiliser recommendations, soil carbon reporting, surface water management and variable rate irrigation solutions.
The precise data from these services will enable farmers and Elders agronomists to make better decisions about crop nutrients and other inputs.
Graham Page, Elders Head of Technical Services, said the new partnership couldn’t come at a better time, with current supply chain issues and the environmental, social and financial demands on farming.
“We recognise that farmers are looking for more precision and enhanced efficiencies in their operations, against the backdrop of higher fertiliser prices and uncertainty around input supply,” he said.
“By entering this partnership with Precision Agriculture, we are combining their data insights with the local knowledge and experienced agronomic support of our team to assist our farmer clients to manage input costs and optimise crop yields in more sustainable ways.”
Set up 10 years ago, Precision Agriculture is the leading independent provider of precision agriculture services, primarily focused on soil health and management.
The Australian owned company is the country’s largest soil sampler, covering 140,000 hectares of farmland in the last 12 months alone.
Precision Agriculture uses a range of digital tools, soil sampling and surveying to spatially map soil and nutrient variation. Its proprietary platform converts this data into digital files that are used in on-farm equipment to optimise the application of fertilisers, nutrients or water.
The company operates in dryland and irrigated cropping, perennial pastures, horticulture, tree crops and viticulture throughout Australia, after developing customised solutions for different sectors and regions and proving these in collaboration with agronomists, farming groups and research organisations.
More recently, Precision Agriculture has responded to increasing demand for baseline testing of soil carbon levels by providing independent assessments and reporting for farmers, corporate and government bodies.
Todd Buck, CEO of Precision Agriculture, said the company is excited to be working alongside Elders to bring its range of soil services to their strong client base.
“Elders’ vision to support Australian agriculture and help farmers prosper by offering services that help achieve their production and sustainability goals aligns directly with Precision Agriculture’s pursuit of unlocking yield, lowering on-farm costs and improving environmental outcomes,” Mr Buck said.
Elders has been running a pilot program with Precision Agriculture in six of its stores.
“As this pilot program has shown, combining the strengths of Precision Agriculture’s technology with the breadth of the Elders network and our people is the best way to support our clients to become more profitable and environmentally sustainable,” Mr Page said.
