Sophistication in machinery and soil testing is the way forward

Tractors may still be getting bigger but the work they do is far more tuned to efficient, precision farming than their smaller predecessors, according to a leading machinery adviser.

Ian Forman of the Agricultural Engineers Association, speaking at the on-farm Tillage event held at Dunbar yesterday, said that a number of tractors on display were now rated at over 300 horsepower (hp) and many more were in the 250hp category.

“The trend is still towards bigger units,” he said, adding that four out of five tractors used in arable areas were now equipped with some form of precision navigation using GPS. The accuracy these systems give, along with larger, more sophisticated cultivators ensure arable farmers are much more efficient than they used to be.

One often previously neglected aspect of crop husbandry has been tyre pressures, but yesterday tyre manufacturer Trelleborg demonstrated just how important correct pressures were in cultivation work.

Forman also predicted that tractor makers could soon provide variable tyre pressure to suit field or road work. “Looking after the soil is now more important than it has ever been. Many tractors already have air systems and being able to alter tyre pressures easily must be something that will be available in the near future.”

SAC consultant soil expert Gavin Elrick said changes in farm support could mean future subsidies will be linked to environmental benefits, and therefore it was essential that soil condition was maintained and in many cases improved.

Towards that end, SAC Consulting, part of Scotland’s Rural College, used yesterday’s event to launch its soil health test service, building on routine testing for ph and a range of nutrients. The “soil MOT” also measures organic matter, physical structure, earthworms and potentially mineralisable nitrogen.