No matter what size your farm is, collecting and making the most of your farm data is incredibly valuable. The more information you have, the more you can make decisions tailored to your farm’s specific needs.
You can easily record and analyse data in fieldmargin using monitoring sites. Monitoring sites do not require any special technology and allow you to add measurements from anywhere.
This month we have released an update with an improved design for monitoring sites on iOS
With this update you can:
- Edit your data readings
- Search and filter your monitoring sites
- More easily add multiple data points
When you add a data reading into fieldmargin it saves the date, time, and location. Read more here. With this in mind here are 7 examples of farm data being collected in fieldmargin:
1) Rain gauge readings
The most popular monitoring site on fieldmargin is the rain gauge. Some of our farms record from over 50 locations across their farm.
A rain gauge collects water falling on it and records the change over time in the rainfall depth, which is usually expressed in mm. You can record these details in fieldmargin.
fieldmargin also has an easy-to-use analysis tool that instantly produces graphs from your data. You can easily visualise weather patterns over time by viewing weather record graphs over one week, one month, and one year.
2) Water meters on Boreholes
fieldmargin has been used as a tool for collecting data relating to farming in droughts. You can read more here. This includes recording details of boreholes.
A borehole is a narrow shaft bored into the ground, either vertically or horizontally. A borehole may be constructed for the extraction of water for crops. Boreholes are a practical solution to access underground water, giving farmers an alternative source of the precious resource.
With fieldmargin you can record the locations of boreholes and how much water they have extracted over time.
3) Insect and pest counts
The Integrated Pest Management scheme recommends the careful consideration of all pest control techniques and only using chemical control where and when needed.
Early detection of insects is essential to prevent crop destruction. You can use fieldmargin to set up insect trap locations so you can add pest counts when you are in the field and use this information to identify hot spots and spray thresholds.
Users we have spoken to are recording details for these insects: stem flea beetle for oilseed rape, stink bugs on Sugar Cane, and Coding Moths for veg production.
4) Details of Windpumps across a farm site
Users on fieldmargin have used monitoring site sites to record details of windmills for pumping water. Some farms have as many as 80 across the site. They can record how deep the hole is and what size the pipe and cylinder are.
Every windmill’s depth is different,” says Charl. “So from amount of pipe and the thickness of the pipe to the cylinder used to pump water, everything gets loaded on fieldmargin. That way, if one windmills is broken I know exactly what I need to fix it. This type of information used to take forever to find back in the office, it is great to see and share all the data on one map.”
5) Plate meter measurements for pasture
Effective pasture management is key to meeting the needs of grazing livestock. Rising plate meters provide a convenient way of assessing field cover through measurements of the sward height.
fieldmargin can be used to record your plate meter readings and the available DM in each field while you are on the go so you can easily plan how to allocate your grazing.
6) Grain sampling and monitoring records
It is important to monitor the moisture content of grain. High moisture in stored grain promotes the development of moulds and mites. You can use fieldmargin monitoring sites to keep a record of your readings.
7) The amount of diesel in stock
We have spoken to users that make a weekly recording of the amount of diesel that they used. They also record how much diesel is stocked onsite. This means everyone can be updated on the amount left. It can also be used for costings in the future.
8) Soil pH values
We have an increasing number of users who regularly monitor soil pH values as part of their field health work. You can set up your regular sample sites as monitoring sites, and add new values each time you take a new sample. This can provide a located-set of pH data to guide decisions to add lime on farm, for example, or we have seen other cases where it is used as part of environmental reporting and benchmarking.
Coming soon!
We are also working on possible connection with on-farm sensors. If you use any on your farm we would love to hear from you.
If you have any questions or need help using fieldmargin you can get in touch with us at support@fieldmargin.com or via the chat window in the app and we will be happy to help.
Monitoring sites are a part of our paid subscription. We offer a 14-day trial of Pro for free with no commitment to purchase (you don’t even have to enter any card details!).