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From Planning to Performance, Improving an Agronomist's Workflow
Technology Category
- Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Data Management Platforms
Applicable Industries
- Agriculture
Applicable Functions
- Logistics & Transportation
- Quality Assurance
Use Cases
- Farm Monitoring & Precision Farming
- Supply Chain Visibility
Services
- Cloud Planning, Design & Implementation Services
The Challenge
Bruce Larcombe, an agronomist for 22 broadacre growers in the Dookie area of Victoria’s Goulburn Valley, faces extreme peaks and troughs in his workload throughout the season. All the farms he services grow winter crops, leading to similar planting and harvesting dates and resulting in seasonal peaks in demand for farm inputs, labour, and other services. Bruce's workload is particularly heavy during the 16-week period from crop emergence to harvest, during which he has to check over 450 paddocks and make numerous recommendations for his clients.
About The Customer
Larcombe Agronomy’s Bruce Larcombe is an agronomist around Dookie in Victoria’s Goulburn Valley. The area is mainly based around dryland winter cropping. The majority of farms in the area have what is called “Dookie Red” soil, a type of clay loam, that originally used to sustain yellow box trees and white cypress pine or Murray pine trees. Land that has been cleared for cropping is usually flat or undulating and, with an average 22” annual rainfall, it makes for excellent winter cropping land. Average farm size is around 1200 hectares and crops such as, wheat, barley, canola, beans and chickpeas can all perform really well here, depending on the season.
The Solution
To manage his peak workload and ensure that all crops are getting the best care possible, Bruce uses Agworld to create accurate cropping plans for all his clients. Before the start of the season, he sits down with each of his clients, discusses the budget, and decides what they would like to do that season. He uses Agworld to plan for every paddock separately, from seeding rate to fungicides, insecticides, and everything in between. As the crops emerge, Bruce converts the plans into recommendations, which saves him a lot of time during the busiest part of the season. The plans also help the growers plan their workload and give their input providers information that helps them plan their stock levels.
Operational Impact
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