Plot data contributes to a solid basis for cultivation

Measuring a plot, studying any differences in height or gaining insight into the yield expectation with the help of growth curves. Arable farmer Arjan Schrauwen likes to use Boer&Bunder for this. Especially when renting or buying plots, it is a valuable tool to have a good quick scan to make.

In Farmer&Bunder more than 700.000 agricultural plots in the Netherlands have been included. Also the plots on which Maatschap Schrauwen-Deijkers from Zevenbergschen Hoek in Brabant has its arable crops. This means that Arjan Schrauwen, who runs the company with his wife Caroline, has valuable data on his plots. With his pro subscription, the arable farmer has insight into which crops were there before, up to 9 years ago. But other plot data is also frequently consulted.

Insight into the potential of the plot
"We have an arable farm of about 80 hectares," says Schrauwen. "We also grow our potatoes and grains in a 1 to 4 crop rotation schedule. For the other crops - chicory, green beans, onions or shallots, and sugar beets - we use a 1 to 8 rotation." The crops from the fixed crop plan are largely on private land, usually on plots of 10 or 11 hectares. "But we also partly use rented land." 

In the latter case, as an entrepreneur you want to know what the potential of the leased land is. And that applies all the more when purchasing a plot. Schrauwen: "We bought additional land 2 years ago. Beforehand, I will fully investigate such a plot. Measure the history and soil type, but also measure the lengths and map the heights. In this case we had to build a path. With the cadastral If you add the data, you know exactly how that will turn out."

Create your own analyses
All this data is made transparent with the help of Boer&Bunder. Schrauwen has been a user since its launch in 2015. Initially of the free version, but with the paid version he can now view much more information. "It is well worth the money," says the entrepreneur. "You have a quick overview and can use the data to make your own analyzes of soil. And that is ultimately the basis of your cultivation."

Sometimes the risk of a certain leased plot is too great, says Schrauwen. "With Boer&Bunder you can check this in advance. For example, the height maps of a plot can make it clear that you have to take measures, for example digging trenches. The water stairs also provide insight into the heights of the groundwater level. This can be useful for irrigating, for example. "

Adjust if necessary
Schrauwen uses Boer&Bunder on his mobile to directly consult data in the field. In addition, he can easily zoom in on fields on the fixed computer. "This especially applies to measuring plots. This data is not only useful for us, but also for, for example, submitting plots to RVO. You can also click on the satellite maps per plot to see where the crop growth is better or less. This is often a confirmation of what you have already identified yourself. The data can be a reason to collect our task cards and, for example, adjust them with compost or manure. All in all, it is a great way to make a quick scan of plots."