Albanwise Success with SAP Analysis
Here’s how we helped Albanwise farm more efficiently and sustainably.
CLIENT / Albanwise Yorkshire
Albanwise Yorkshire utilising SAP Analysis to accurately improve input use
SAP Analysis success for Albanwise.
OMEX has successfully worked with Albanwise Yorkshire Farms Manager Will Jones to introduce SAP analysis, a tool to accurately assess the actual nutritional status of the crop before it shows stress brought about by deficiencies in essential macro and micro nutrients.
SAP analysis was introduced to Albanwise four years ago due to issues around deficiencies in magnesium on the company’s chalky soils across the North Yorkshire Wolds and manganese on the high organic matter soils with areas of body in East Yorkshire around Beverley, where the land falls from 170m above sea level down to below sea level nearer the coast.
Read more about SAP Analysis“SAP analysis is becoming an increasingly essential management tool in our business, which we use to check the nutritional state of our crops before a deficiency issue becomes visual, when it is nearly always too late to avoid a degree of yield and quality loss.”
Will Jones, Albanwise
What’s growing on the farm?
Albanwise Yorkshire farms 3600ha of arable land which supports 400ha of winter milling wheat and 650ha of milling wheat; 580ha of winter malting barley and 580ha of spring malting barley; 200ha of OSR; 350ha of vining peas; 30ha of grain maize grown for the first time as a potential replacement for OSR, as well as forage maize for local AD plants. Land is also rented out for seed potatoes.
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SAP Analysis Success for Albanwise
SAP Analysis is a unique system that monitors 17 key nutrients actively available for crop growth. With access to a vast database to help farmers make accurate and efficient decisions.
“We only apply essential nutrients when the SAP analysis says there is a deficiency,” says Mr Jones. “We send OMEX a field map for one of its field staff to come out and take samples two days prior to spraying each of the sprays – T0, T1 and T2. Each sample position is GPS mapped so that when the next sample is taken it always comes from exactly the same place.
“Analysis is caried out at the OMEX lab and within 2-3 days the results are emailed to us in the office with a graph showing nutrient levels for each field tested. A three-way discussion then takes place between OMEX’s National Agronomy Manager Scott Baker, our independent agronomist and myself.”
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What the customer had to say
“Before SAP analysis we had to rely on visual crop inspections but of course by then it’s too late to rectify a deficiency problem without inevitable yield loss. It becomes a firefighting exercise rather than a preventative action. A healthier crop is much more resilient to disease,” he explains. “Buying bulk means we are less reliant on delivery timings.”
“We liken it to a blood test in that through your blood a doctor can accurately determine what a particular problem is exactly at that time. The problem with tissue testing in my opinion is that rather like testing skin, the tissue of a plant contains historical information about a problem that might have been present beforehand, but may not be problem any longer or the damage of that particular deficiency has already occurred.
“Stressed crops can reduce yield and quality potential significantly,” he says. “A stressed crop is usually less green for a start so there is less leaf area to photosynthesise and this leads to lower yields. I would add that a stressed crop can be caused by many reasons though, including weather, soils, drought, soil type, temperature, topography and general disease pressure. But, what is certain is that a healthy crop is far better able to deal with any of these issues, in the same way that a human is better able to beat something like a common cold when healthy and fit.
“I am in no doubt that the future will see more use of SAP analysis and by keeping a crop healthy and in good condition so it can utilise its own immune system, we might be able to reduce our dependency on fungicides.”
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