Contractor Agropodnik a.s. is based near Hradce Králové in the fertile Elbe region in Czech Republic. They use equipment
fitted with satellite navigation systems to help reduce costs for their farmer customers.
The company offers comprehensive services to farmers in the region which spans a huge area of 40 000 ha. Key to the operation are Ag-Chem Terra Gator and RoGator machines equipped with GPS satellite navigation systems and on-board computers to enable site-specific fertiliser application.
In 1999, the company decided to focus on site-specific agriculture and began gathering data (field mapping and soil samples) and creating a database for variable distribution using site-specific SGIS software (now GTA500 SGIS software).
First, they had their Terra Gator 1603 fitted with a Falcon on-board computer for variable application, then started applying fertiliser for their customers on the basis of application maps.
“Spring 2001 was a time of change for our company when we purchased a new RoGator again fitted with a Falcon on-board computer to allow variable application, then a Terra Gator 8103 TwinBin spreader in 2002. From that moment on we were in a position to meet all our customers' requirements for variable application." Exaplains Jiří Vondráček, Head of Agropodnik’s Sadová branch.
“Site-specific agriculture was just one of the options for reducing costs and helping our clients through a difficult financial period. In my personal opinion, the future definitely lies in this new technology. This rings true whichever way you look at it — we have cost savings on fertiliser and a lesser impact on the natural environment on the one hand, and enhanced quality in terms of agricultural production on the other.”
Among the Agropodnik services offered to farmers are: impact mapping, soil sampling, mapping of nutrient variability and pH levels in the soil using Mehlich III together with yield mapping and fertiliser application plans. In terms of application services the company offers variable fertiliser application, plant protection application and lime fertiliser application. In 2005, they used their Terra Gator 1603 to apply 3000 tonnes of finely-ground Dolomite lime and, once again, employed the Falcon on-board computer for variable application.
This year Agropodnik traded in its Terra Gator 8103 for a new Terra Gator 8103 Airmax 2000 TwinBin, equipped with a satellite navigation system from Raven which allows them to use the machinery in the field when visibility is poor and at night so they are not dependent on foam marking.
"The switch to modern, powerful and sophisticated machinery that offered the option of variable application brought an increase in fertiliser sales and in the number of customers,” remarks Jiří. "Our machinery works at full capacity for almost the entire year”.
Agropodnik has been totally won over by the benefits of Ag-Chem equipment, given the edge over competitors by virtue of precision application, and deployment in site-specific agriculture.
“Since Czech Republic’s entry into the EU, the main problems facing farmers here are the EU pricing policy and cheap imports of agricultural products. Subsidies are lower than in the older EU member countries. Our farmers are therefore looking for alternative ways to reduce production costs, but it is not easy.” explains Jiří.
“Renewing a fleet of machinery is extremely costly, so we try to help with our service system. We offer farmers savings on fertiliser costs with the application of site-specific agriculture; we offer excellent output and precision from our machinery and we increase yield and help ensure better crop quality through specific fertiliser planning. To put it simply: we offer customers a comprehensive service. Our aim is to act like a kind of supermarket for our farmers — one they can shop at every day of the week.”
