NRM’s Sajjad Awan advises farmers to focus on individual data for improved farm management

At KWS’ recent Business Briefing, Sajjad Awan, Soil and Crop Nutrition Agronomist at NRM, told over 100 agricultural professionals that the best way to improve crop resilience and nutrient use efficiency is to focus on their own production data and move away from using standard industry figures.

‘Farming by averages is no longer enough,’ he said. ‘We’re dealing with much more on-farm variability than previously realised. A look at the key metrics from NRM’s analysis of crop nutrition data shows we need to be more granular in our crop management approach to build resilience in farming practices. Using analysis to check carbon levels in the soil, for example, helps maintain soil health for greater resilience, whilst analysing nitrogen levels helps avoid excessive applications of fertiliser, which will not only help you save money but will also prevent harm to the environment.’

The conference theme, “Building resilience into rotations” is highly topical given the extent to which climate unpredictability is affecting crop production. Dr Kirsty Richards, KWS’ Cereals Product Manager, James Webster, The Andersons Centre’s Senior Analyst, and Olivia Potter, KWS’ Technical Specialist, discussed how to choose the most suitable crops, focusing on incremental gains rather than one large change with varietal choice.

‘Building greater resilience in agriculture is crucial,’ said Sajjad. ‘Routine testing is one way growers can improve farm management, whether it be analysis of soil organic matter, soil nutrient status, or nitrogen offtake in harvested crops. Understanding the data will not only improve production across individual farms, but improve performance across the industry as a whole.’

NRM analyses over half a million soil samples across all farm types every year. Our various analysis services, including CarbonCheck for soil carbon analysis, CropCheck for plant tissue testing, GrainCheck for grain analysis, and N-Check for soil nitrogen analysis, help customers check they are on course throughout the season. These tools help farmers increase performance and profitability whilst committing to sustainable, resilient practices to help them stay productive.

For more information on our soil analysis services, contact us.